LAHAINA, Dec. 25–In the second of the 12th photos of Christmas series we note that King Kamehameha II and the regent Queen Ka’ahumanu declared the old religion null and void, opening the door for the missionaries to preach the gospel and convert thousands of Hawaiians. The first Christmas was celebrated in 1823 with the arrival of the first missionaries on Maui and the formation of what later became Wailoa Church.  Wailoa Church–although previous structures were destroyed by wind and fire–still celebrates Christmas. See my column in Lahaina News next week for more on this.  SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL 12 Photos of Christmas posts.