Mele Kalikimaka

Bing Crosby popularized the song Mele Kalikimaka.

In 1949, Robert Alex Anderson wrote the Christmas song Mele Kalikimaka. Anderson wrote many popular Hawaiian songs including Lovely Hula Hands.

The phrase Mele Kalikimaka means “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian.

In 1950, Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters recorded the song. It has since been covered by many other artists. The Beach Boys recorded the song for their Ultimate Christmas album, but it contains a different melody and lyrics from thos written by Anderson.

The song has also been used in the films L.A. Confidential, Catch Me If You Can and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.