The inimitable Margo Goodwill opened the festivities as The Divine Miss Margeaux Cadeaux, singing "Hey Big Reindeer" in a deep and sultry laryngitis-infused bedroom voice.
She was absolutely spectacular and we gave her standing ovation!
Our fabulous musical entertainers, Roshan and Shivani.
They really got us going. Almost everyone got up and danced.
A first, as far as I know, for the Branch and Alan Wong's.
The Honolulu Pen Women Holiday Celebration happened to fall on the 5th of December this year which is St. Nicolaas Eve Day, where I grew up. St. Nicolaas (Sinterklaas as he's called in The Netherlands), was a fourth century bishop who became known as the patron saint of sailors and children. He gave gifts in secret, like placing coins and candy in the shoes of children who left them out by the door or the fireplace.
Sinterklaas is the original Santa Claus, except he's not fat and jolly, but tall and slender and dignified, more of an authority figure. He comes with a retinue of Moorish helpers, called Zwarte Pieten (Black Pieters), not so politically correct nowadays. The Pieters bring bags filled with gifts for the children, ostensibly from Sinterklaas.
I have great memories of exchanging small anonymous gifts (signed "Sinterklaas") to friends and family. Each gift would be accompanied by a rhymed poem that usually poked fun at the recipient.
Since I'm in charge of arranging the monthly programs for the Pen Women, I could hardly wait to recreate a Sinterklaas feast. First thing on the list was to recruit people to play Sinterklaas and the Pieters. Leilani Madison went for the role of the Saint with unrestrained glee. Susan Killeen, Marcia Zina Magers and Kris Barry agreed to serve as Pieters even though they had no idea what a Pieter was.
Kris and I then went to work on Sinterklaas' costume. This is what we came up with:
Leilani as Sinterklaas
Designer Bishop’s
Mantle made of 25 hand-stitched red
"Buffalo Industries"
100% Cotton All-Purpose Auto Maintenance Towels for Garage & Home,
durable, fully-hemmed & machine washable.
100% Cotton All-Purpose Auto Maintenance Towels for Garage & Home,
durable, fully-hemmed & machine washable.
Edges trimmed with Kirkland Wire-Edged Decorative Ribbon from Costco, Hawaii Kai.
Designer
Cassock Ensemble, scored at Savers, Kalihi.
Gold Stole from Goodwill, Beretania.
Staff made from Tantalus bamboo,
topped with a magic wand from Price Busters in Mililani.
Mitre made from an E. Bohnert failed painting on paper,
strengthened with a Honolulu Star Advertiser page,
painted with red acrylic paint from Ben Franklin, Kapahulu
and fastened with safety pins from Long’s, Waialae
to a gently-used birthday hat from the Nimitz Hwy Party City.
strengthened with a Honolulu Star Advertiser page,
painted with red acrylic paint from Ben Franklin, Kapahulu
and fastened with safety pins from Long’s, Waialae
to a gently-used birthday hat from the Nimitz Hwy Party City.
The Pieters came in their own assemblage of colorful clothes.
Pieter Susan
Pieter Marcia
I hope Shan is still speaking with me after I had Sinterklaas
give her a present with the customary poke.
My blurry photos of people dancing and forming a crazy conga line
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Even RJ got into the line!
Pieters distributing the books that people had brought as gifts for exchange
And here are more photos of the party:
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We ended the party with singing Mele Kalikimaka,
raffling off the table decorations by Joan Gencarelli,
raffling off the table decorations by Joan Gencarelli,
and making our final purchases at our Holiday Boutique.
MELE KALIKIMAKA ME KA HAU`OLI MAKAHIKI HOU!
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