May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii
The lei is an unspoken expression of Aloha, and Lei Day is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and the Aloha Spirit.
In ancient Europe, people celebrated the beginning of summer halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. May Day traditions include gathering wildflowers and green branches and weaving floral garlands.
The fresh streamers, with their sweet perfume and bright colors, evoke emerging life. As sure as summer, flowers bloom in spring and tight buds unfurl into green leaves. Their beauty and shade give us the feeling that all is right with the world, and anything is possible.
In Colorado Springs, where I live, snow caps Pikes Peak. Warm afternoons and freezing nights inhibit early blooms and budding leaves. We’re in southern Colorado, so the winters are typically mild and short, but this past winter was blustery, dark, and bitter. The unpredictability of the weather makes it impossible to celebrate May Day traditionally.
But I know spring is coming. I know this because the morning temperatures are now in the 40s. Our highs get into the 60s.
While I wait, I dream about Lei Day on Kauai, which was recognized as a state holiday in 1929, and celebrated on May Day. Living on Kauai for eight years indelibly imprinted my spirit with aloha, and a nature that’s so explosive, captivating, and consistent, I can imagine Lei Day as it was when I lived there in 2017.
The Kauai Museum hosted lei making contests, and contestants filled the rooms with intricate varieties that visitors voted for. Hubby covered the event for the weekly paper, and some of these shots are from that. Today, the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort hosts the event.
Above, Elvrine Chow of Heavenly Hakus makes a haku, which is worn like a crown. The lei is an unspoken expression of Aloha, and Lei Day is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and the Aloha Spirit. Each island has its own type of lei. On Kauai, they’re made with the light green berries from the mokihana, a citrus tree native only to the island. The county’s signature color is purple, so many makers intersperse purple flowers between the green berries.
Elvrine made me countless hakus like this one when I lead my food tours, and she often added herbs like thyme and basil as a gesture of aloha. Our guests also purchase them, and the dearest memories I have are when the wives bought one for their husbands.
If you’re not lucky enough to live on Kauai, and you’re in a landlocked state that’s exposed to long and cold winters, I hope these pictures uplift your shivering spirit. And if you have pretty pictures, or a lei story, I encourage you to reply to this post, or leave a comment.
So lovely! Thanks, Marta!
Beautiful. I am in love with leis, so this is right up my alley!!!