Festival of Lights (Hawaii)
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The Festival of Lights is an annual celebration held in Hawaii during December.
Honolulu
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Kauai
On Kauai, the Festival of Lights began in 1996, focusing on the preservation of Christmas folk art. Its origins begin 50 years ago with "Auntie" Josie Chansky, a folk artist born and raised on Kauai. It is because of her art and contribution to the people of the islands that Festival of Lights was created. For almost 40 years, first on Oahu and then 18 years on Kauai, Auntie Josie opened her home to neighbors, strangers, tourists - everyone and anyone. People just started showing up on her lawn and then at her door. They wanted to see all the Christmas folk art decorations that she created and displayed on the outside and inside of her home. Auntie Josie’s home became known as “The Christmas House.” Generations of families began making “The Christmas House” part of their holiday traditions to see favorites such as a Christmas tree made of 7,500 green toothpicks, wreaths formed from egg cartons, table decorations constructed with seed pods, and a chandelier fashioned from wire coat hangers. Auntie Josie transformed these humble materials into sparkling treasures.
Auntie Josie’s husband died in 1996. Out of grief and the sad realization that she did not have the strength to put up all the decorations herself, Auntie Josie held a garage sale. Luckily, the loss of the “The Christmas House” to the community was recognized and her entire collection was saved by community member, artist and designer Elizabeth Freeman and donated to the County of Kauai. Freeman created and held the first Festival of Lights in 1996 and continues to produce the event with help by community volunteers and funding by the County of Kauai, Office of Economic Development, Hawaii Tourism Authority, individuals and private businesses.
In 2006, Auntie Josie was honored by both the Senate and the Office of the Mayor for her 50 years of contribution to Hawaii’s holiday season. The Hawaii House of Representatives had also recognized her work in 1975. In 2006, Auntie Josie was honored with Proclamations by both Senator Hooser of the Hawaii State Legislature and Former Kauai Mayor Baptiste for her 50 years of contribution to Hawai‘i’s holiday season. A week before Auntie Josie’s passing on February 3, 2009, Kauai Mayor Carvalho also issued a Proclamation to Auntie Josie.
Festival of Lights also showcases decorations created by the local community. As an artist and designer, Elizabeth Freeman was intent on creating a world of magical beauty for children and families. As the Festival of Lights’ creator and art director, Freeman has produced the event since 1996 to showcase Auntie Josie's unique Folk Art creations as well as designing and overseeing the "Kauai-style" decorations crafted by volunteers to fashion a Holiday tradition for Kauai uniquely her own. Festival of Lights represents about 35 percent of Auntie Josie’s decorations with the remaining pieces designed by Freeman. Freeman relies on volunteers to make the ornaments based on her samples and with her materials.
In 2010, Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) invited Freeman, along with the Kauai High Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, who helped produce the plastic water bottle ornaments, to decorate a Christmas tree in his DC office. By decorating a tree in the Senator's office with more than 500 of their handcrafted "Aloha Recycled Treasures," Freeman hoped to encourage people across the country not only to recycle, but also to utilize recycled bottles as a valuable raw material for art projects.
Freeman continues to develop new ornament designs. In 2012, Freeman unveiled the new "If Can, Can" tree decorated with recycled aluminum can ornaments. In 2013, Freeman created a "CD" tree with recycled CDs from S.C.R.A.P. (Scrounger's Center for Reusable Art Parts) in San Francisco. New for 2014 is the "Lure of the Sea" tree, created by embossed recycled aluminum cans and recycled containers.
More than 5,000 people attend Opening Night at the Historic County Building on the first Friday of December. Visitors enjoy caroling by the Kauai Chorale and Santa leading a Lighting Countdown of the Historic Park. The doors then officially open for viewing of the interior of the Historic County Building and its illuminated Christmas decorations. Visitors can continue to view the Festival of Lights through Christmas Eve.
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