69th Annual Kaimuki Christmas Parade

Back home in Malaysia, 21-year-old Muhammed Zainuddin Zawani and his family do not celebrate Christmas. This is the same for many international students attending Chaminade University. Although Zawani does not celebrate the holiday in his Muslim culture, he still looks forward to this time of year because he gets to watch the Kaimuki Christmas Parade, which he has been doing every year since he was a freshman at Chaminade.

“I get to feel another culture’s custom because back home in Kuala Lumpur we don’t celebrate Christmas,” said Zawani, a senior and Business Administration major.

For the Kaimuki community, this is the time of year where it has come together to celebrate one of the longest-running community parades in the state of Hawaii. The Kaimuki Business and Professional Association (KBPA) hosted its 69th Annual Kaimuki Christmas Parade on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 6 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Participants of the parade assembled at Chaminade University where they registered and prepared to march down Waialae Road toward Koko Head Avenue.

The 1.1-mile parade began with the traditional entrance from the sounds and bright blue lights of motorcycles from the Honolulu Police Department. Following HPD was the Junior Reserved Officer Training Corps students and the high school marching bands from the local schools around the community such as Sacred Hearts Academy, St. Louis, and Kaimuki High School. Mayor Kirk Caldwell also made his appearance at the Christmas parade. Caldwell smiled and shook hands with people in the audience as he paraded down Waialae Avenue.

Chaminade’s own Ohana Club also participated in the Kaimuki Christmas Parade. Members of the club cheerfully marched down Waialae Avenue as they held a bright yellow banner with the word “ohana” written across it. They also passed out candy and Chaminade drawstring backpacks to children in the crowd.

People enthusiastically cheered and yelled out the names of family members and friends that they spotted marching in the parade. Toys and candy were handed out to the crowd as more organizations and local business like Central Pacific Bank, American Savings Bank, and Bank of Hawaii made its way toward Koko Head Avenue.

The Honolulu Fire Department cruised down the road with its shiny yellow fire truck dazzled with colorful Christmas lights. Non-profit organizations like the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind and the Girls and Boys Scouts proudly walked side by side in the parade. The festivities finally concluded with Santa Clause on a sleigh waving to the crowd and saying “Merry Christmas.”

“My favorite part of the parade was listening to the marching bands play the holiday Christmas music,” said Cody Rapozo, a 21-year-old student at Chaminade. “This is my third time watching the parade, and I really enjoyed the festivities. I felt that the parade was a good way for organizations, business, and clubs to give back to the community. I also felt that our Ohana Club did a great job representing Chaminade. Hopefully, Chaminade can invest more in the celebration next year.”

The Kaimuki Professional and Business Association has been serving the Kaimuki community since it established in 1946. The focus of the organization is the overall betterment and improvement of the community.