Kahului home always bears marks of the season
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
KAHULUI, Maui — For nearly 30 years, motorists passing through the busy intersection of Kamehameha and Wakea avenues in Kahului at Christmastime have been startled to see a life-size Santa turning to wave at them from the window of Rose Feiteira's home.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
On the fly, they're not quite sure if it's a real person in the red suit or a clever imitation.
A life-size mechanical Santa waves at passing motorists from the windows of Rose Feiteira's home in Kahului. The holiday tradition has continued for 30 years.
The mechanical figure was a gift from a friend 28 years ago, and is the most visible member of Feiteira's collection of Christmas decorations.
Feiteira, 78, has been decorating her picture windows for all the major holidays since she moved into her Dream City home with her late husband, Vernon, and their three children 52 years ago.
The Feiteira residence was identical to many other concrete-block houses built for Alexander & Baldwin sugar workers. That wasn't good enough for Rose Feiteira, who insisted her husband cut through the exterior walls to make room for picture windows.
"We never had picture windows in the plantation camps in Pa'ia, just plain old-fashioned windows. You couldn't see out," Rose said. "I told my husband, 'I don't want to be shut in again.' "
The picture windows look out onto her neatly trimmed front lawn and the heavily traveled roadway, providing drivers and their passengers with thoughtful holiday displays year-round: hearts and Cupids at Valentine's; shamrocks and leprechauns at St. Patrick's Day; Old Glory, the Statue of Liberty and the space shuttle for the Fourth of July; jack-o'-lanterns, ghosts and witches at Halloween; turkeys and pilgrims at Thanksgiving; and a winter wonderland at Christmas.
Between holidays, Feiteira puts out her Hawaiian-themed collection.
Nestled in rolling hills of white batting "snow," the Christmas display includes separate Disney and nursery rhyme villages complete with Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue and other familiar characters. The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe is built around a toy that her son — now 57 — used to play with as a boy.
Towering over the landscape is the animated Santa.
In a separate corner is a nativity display with a whole flock of sheep and Noah's ark.
Although school groups no longer come by to gawk at her elaborate displays, Feiteira is quick to grab a wooden drumstick she keeps handy to point out the intricate scenes to visitors. "Here's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," she says, "and here's Santa's workshop."
Her husband built a special storeroom for her collections, which have grown through the years. "When I go on trips, I see something I like and I buy it and bring it home," she said. "To me it's just a joy and making somebody happy."
Feiteira, who was too modest to have her picture taken, has seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, and still visits Maui Memorial Park every day to clean the graves of her husband, parents, and other family members and friends.
She also keeps an immaculate house, and loves to cook and mow the lawn.
She said she learned long ago that "if you clean, it will last forever."
Contact Christie Wilson at cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
