Photos by Kathleen Connelly
This year’s second grade performance of “Christmas All Over the World,” held on Wednesday, Dec. 10 in Thurston Memorial Chapel, brought holiday cheer and global Christmas traditions to life for family and friends. Junior School Chaplain Luana Uluave opened the program and welcomed the audience to a celebration of music and culture – a long-standing Punahou tradition.
The journey began in China where students performed “Gongxi Gongxi,” complete with ribbon dancing, drums and hand gestures. The program then traveled to the Philippines with the lively song “Pasko Na Naman.” Next, students represented Europe, sharing the stories of Santa Claus and the Three Kings before singing “Little Drummer Boy” with drums and cymbals.
During the Italy segment, students wore the traditional chapel cotta – a white garment with a bright red bow used in Punahou chapel services – as they sang “Dormi, Dormi O Bel Bambin” and rang bells. The audience was then transported to Sweden, where students danced around a small Christmas tree while performing “Ritsch Ratsch Filibom.”
The program concluded in Mexico with the song “Quién Les Da Posada.” Students wore festive attire, with two portraying Mary and Joseph beside a baby doll in a manger. All six classes then joined together for a final, heartfelt rendition of “Silent Night” in English.
Colorful, joyful and filled with tradition, this year’s performance celebrated both the diversity of global Christmas customs and the spirit of community that continues to shape Punahou’s Junior School.