By Alayna ’14

Three hundred people lined up at Punahou's annual PFA Christmas Sale, Dec. 7, 2012, to buy dozens of jars of the School’s famous mango chutney, liliko‘i butter and red-pepper jelly. Although this year's batch of jams and jellies made their debut in the winter, the preparations took place during the six months leading up to the sale.

Student and parent volunteers spent countless hours harvesting, cutting and peeling mangoes, cooking the jams and jellies, and pouring the finished products into thousands of sterilized jars. During the production sessions, held at the Dole Hall kitchen throughout the summer, the volunteers produced 500 jars of red-pepper jelly, 2,500 jars of liliko‘i butter and 9,000 jars of mango chutney.

At the annual Christmas Craft Sale, members of the Punahou community waited in line for hours to fill their carts with these delicious concoctions. Lily Kahuanui, the second customer in line, planned to share with her family and friends. "The people who I give them to just love it, so I try to be here every year," she said.

The PFA Christmas Sale is just the start of one of Punahou’s most celebrated Carnival traditions. Parent booth chair Naomi Omizo, who teaches Japanese language in the Academy, said: "The best part of working in Jams and Jellies is that while it requires a long-term commitment, it allows you to truly experience the purpose of Carnival: to make new friends, bond with parents and students, have fun, and, through it all, do something that will benefit the School!"

Be sure to check out the Punahou Carnival, Feb. 1 – 2, 2013.