Lei Day

May 1^st is lei day every year. My sweetie was not able to join me for this event, but that’s ok:). It took place on kapiolani park on a beautiful sunny day. There was a few local venders on one side of the park selling jewelry, clothing, and photographs. It felt a little empty to me. I then walked over to the food tents and then I realized that’s where all the people congregated to lol. Various items from Indian, Thai, burgers and pizza. There was dancing, singing and beautiful music from a band playing on stage. The mayor spoke a little bit about the history of lei day. It’s always nice to know the background of what and why a certain day became very special.
I walked to the back of the park where other tents were positioned and there were stations of lei making, lau lau weaving, and etc. Unfortunately, it was extremely crowded I was not able to watch the demonstrations or join in. I ended up walking to the middle of the park where other venders were selling leis and kuku nuts. The quality of some leis… just was not worth the price. The glue was apparent and the colored strands was something I saw at the Benjamin craft store.
Overall I was glad I experienced lei day!

I found out about Lei Day on one of the hotel websites before our vacation — and I’m so glad we checked it out. I’m a huge fan of street fairs, so I was primed to enjoy this festival.
They also had demonstrations of different lei-​making techniques, which was very cool. I even got to make my own lei for free!
The leis from the competition were beautiful, but there is no way I am waiting in the line to get up close. An hour and a half? No thank you, I’ll observe from behind the rope ;) Some of the leis are made by children — I think the youngest category was under 5 years old. UNDER 5!

Not to be missed, the Lei Day festival held in Queen Kapi’olani Park is an amazing collection of flowers and people.
Every year I would make leis from the flowers in our yard and enter them in our school’s Lei Day competition held the last school day every March. The best were shown at the park during the state wide Lei Day festival. If you happen to be in Hawaii on May 1^st you should definitely visit the festival. Don’t forget to complement the lei makers!
Mini history:
The lei known the world over, is a symbol of aloha. Great care is taken into the gathering of the materials to make a lei. After the materials are gathered, they are prepared and then fashioned into a lei. As this is done, the mana (or spirit) of the creator of the lei is sewn or woven into it. Therefore, when you give a lei, you are giving a part of you. Likewise, as you receive a lei, you are receiving a part of the creator of the lei.
Visitors to Hawai‘i quickly became accustomed to the lei as an expression of welcome and hospitality. Poet laureate, Don Blanding, thought that Hawai‘i should have a day set aside to celebrate and recognize the custom of giving and receiving leis. While working at the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Don discussed the idea with «Kamaaina Kolumn» columnist Grace Tower Warren. She enthusiastically embraced the idea and suggested that the day should be May Day and coined the phrase May Day is Lei Day. Inspired by their zeal, Leonard «Red» and Ruth Hawk, a musician, composed May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii. This song resonates throughout every Lei Day celebration in the State of Hawai‘i.
The first Lei Day was in 1927 and celebrated in downtown Honolulu with a few people wearing leis. From that it grew and more and more people began to wear leis on May 1. We are told that the first celebration and exhibit of leis was at the Bank of Hawaii. In 1928, the first lei queen was Nina Bowman.
After a few years, Lei Day was held at City Hall with a lei exhibit and pageant. The leis of the eight major Hawaiian Islands became the theme for the pageant and a lei queen chosen with a princess representing each of the islands, wearing lei fashioned with the island’s flower and color.
*Pictures are of the Aloha Day parade but showcase some amazing leis.