Lei is a
HawaiianThe Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
word for a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a
lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds...
s draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of affection. This concept was popularized through
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
between the
Hawaiian IslandsThe Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of 19 islands and atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll. Excluding Midway, which is an unincorporated territory of the...
and the continental
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Children and sweethearts are poetically referred to as "lei" and many ancient and modern songs and chants refer to this imagery.
Materials
A
lei (
nā lei is the plural in the
Hawaiian languageThe Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
) may be composed of a pattern or series of just about anything, but most commonly consists of fresh natural foliage such as flowers, leaves, vines, fern fronds, and seeds. The most commonly used flowers are those of
plumeriaPlumeria is a small genus of 7-8 species native to tropical and subtropical Americas. The genus consists of mainly deciduous shrubs and trees. P...
s,
ōhia lehuaThe ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
, orchids, and
pikakeJasminum sambac is a species of jasmine native to southwestern and southern Asia, in the Philippines, India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka....
, though
maileMaile is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows as either a twining liana or shrub, and can be found dry and moist forests at elevations of . The smooth, glossy leaves are up to long and occur in groups of two to four...
leaves,
fernA fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta. The group is also referred to as Polypodiophyta, or Polypodiopsida when treated as a subdivision of tracheophyta...
s, and
ti leaves are extremely popular as well as traditional among
hula dancers. Other types of
lei may include sea or land shells, fish teeth, bones, feathers, plastic flowers, fabric, paper (including
origamiis the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. The goal of this art is to create a representation of an object using geometric folds and crease patterns preferably without gluing or cutting the paper, and using only one piece of paper....
and monetary bills), candy, or anything that can be strung together in a series or pattern and worn as a wreath or a necklace.
Crafting
The eight most common methods of making
lei are:
Haku - three-ply
braidA braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibers, wire, or human hair...
incorporating additional materials. A method of making a lei by using a base material, such as softened tree bark or long leaves, and braiding it while adding the decorative plant material into each wrap of the braid. Normally used for flowers and foliage with long pliable petioles or
stemsA stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , cones or other stems etc. The internodes act as spaces that distance one node from another...
.
Hili - braid or plait with only one kind of material. Most commonly made from three or more strands of supple vine or fern braided together.
Hilo - twist, double helix, intertwine. A method of making a lei by twisting two strands together to form a "rope." The popular and simple
lei lai (
ti leaf lei) is made using this method.
Hipuu / nipuu - a method of making a
lei by knotting the stems of the decorative plant material and stringing the next stem through the knot. It requires a very long stem on the decorative material. Similar to a daisy chain.
Humu /
humuhumu - sew to a backing, usually using a basting stitch. A method of making a
lei by sewing the decorative material to a backing such as
hala,
lai, paper, or felt. Each successive row of lei material is overlapped on the previous to create a scale-like effect.
BougainvilleaBougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
lei and feather hat
lei often are made with this method.
Kui - pierce, piercing stitch. A method of making a
lei by sewing or piercing the decorative material with a needle and stringing it onto a thread. This is probably the style with which most Westerners are familiar. This method is commonly used to string flowers such as
plumeriaPlumeria is a small genus of 7-8 species native to tropical and subtropical Americas. The genus consists of mainly deciduous shrubs and trees. P...
,
roseA rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles...
,
carnationDianthus caryophyllus is a species of Dianthus. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years. It is the wild ancestor of the garden Carnation.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall...
, etc.
Wili - wind, twist, crank, coil. A corkscrew-type twist, as found in a pig's tail and the seed pod of the
wiliwiliWiliwili is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is typically found in dry forests on leeward island slopes up to an elevation of...
tree. A method of making a
lei by winding fiber around successive short lengths of the decorative material. Sometimes base materials such as
halaPandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus , occurring from near Port Macquarie in New South Wales to northern Queensland, Australia and Indonesia east through the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean to Hawaii...
,
lai, strands of raffia, or even strips of paper are used to make wrapping easier.
Haku mele - to braid a song. A song composed out of affection for an individual is considered a lei
.
Lei
may be open or closed, depending on circumstance.
Types
Ti Leaf Lei is a type of lei
, thin and braided, that can be entirely made from only fresh green ti
leaves, coming in either close loop or open loop variation.
Maile Lei is another type of lei
, having a looser and whole leafy appearance, that can be made entirely of fresh green leaves but from the maileMaile is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows as either a twining liana or shrub, and can be found dry and moist forests at elevations of . The smooth, glossy leaves are up to long and occur in groups of two to four...
vine, in open loop variation.
Customs
There are many customs and protocols associated with the giving, receiving, wearing, storing, and disposing of lei.
In modern times, a lei is usually given with a kiss - a custom which began in World War II. Traditionalists, however, give a lei by bowing slightly and raising it above the heart, allowing the recipient to take it, as raising the hands above another's head, or touching the face or head, is considered disrespectful.
By tradition, only open lei are given to a pregnant or nursing woman.
If due to allergies or other reasons a person cannot wear a lei which has just been given (for instance a musician who would tangle the lei in his or her guitar strap), the lei is displayed in a place of honor, such as the musician's music stand or microphone stand.
Lei should never be thrown away casually, or tossed into the trash. Traditionally they should be returned to the place they were gathered, or if that is not possible, they should be returned to the earth by hanging in a tree, burying, or burning. A lei represents love, and to throw one away represents throwing away the love of the giver. Many types of lei can be left in a window to dry, allowing the natural fragrance to fill the room. This technique is often used in cars as well.
Polynesian
In
Polynesian culturePolynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
s, a lei is something that is created by someone and given to another with the intent to decorate that person for an emotional reason—usually as a sign of affection. Common reasons include greeting, farewell, affection or
loveLove is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection and attachment. The word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure to intense interpersonal attraction...
, friendship, appreciation, congratulation, recognition, or to otherwise draw attention to the recipient. In
SamoaSamoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa , is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai'i...
, a similar garland is called an 'Ula', in
TahitiTahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The island had a population of 178,133 inhabitants according to the August 2007 census. This makes it the most populous island of French Polynesia,...
it is referred to as 'Hei' and the
Cook IslandsThe Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres , but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1.8 million square kilometres...
it's called an 'Ei'.
Hawaii
Among residents of Hawaii, the most popular occasions at which lei can be found are birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, retirement parties, and bridal showers. It is not uncommon for a high school or college graduate to be seen wearing so many lei that they reach his or her ears or higher.
On May 1, Hawaiians celebrate "Lei Day," first conceived in 1927 by poet
Don BlandingDonald Benson Blanding was an American poet who sentimentalized warm climates and was sometimes described as "poet laureate of Hawaii". He was also known as a journalist, author of prose, and speaker....
. At the time, Blanding was employed by the Honolulu Star Bulletin, and he shared his idea with
columnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating copy that can sometimes be strongly opinionated. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs on the Internet....
Grace Tower Warren, who came up the phrase, "May Day is Lei Day". The Hawaiian song, "May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii" was composed in
1927-Events:* January 8 - Alban Berg's Lyric Suite is premiered in Vienna.* July 1 - Béla Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 1 is premiered in Frankfurt, with the composer at the piano and Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting....
by Ruth and Leonard "Red" Hawk.
At the 81st Annual Mayor's Lei Day Celebration at
Kapiolani ParkKapiolani Regional Park is the largest and oldest public park in Hawaii, located in Honolulu, Hawaii on the east end of Waikīkī. The park, named after Queen Kapiolani, the queen consort of King David Kalākaua, is home to the Waikiki Shell and the Honolulu Zoo.The park was created in 1876 when the...
, Honolulu set the record for the World's Longest Lei. Unofficially, the lei measured 5,336 feet in length, more than a mile. "We exceeded our goal," said Mayor
Mufi HannemannMuliufi Francis "Mufi" Hannemann is an American politician and currently the Mayor of Honolulu. Hannemann has served as a special assistant in Washington, D.C., with the Department of the Interior, where he was selected for a White House fellowship in the Reagan administration under then Vice...
. "We were hoping to reach one mile. I want to thank the people of Honolulu, and especially the dedicated and hard working members of our Department of Parks and Recreation in addition to our corporate sponsors and volunteers, for making Lei Day 2008 the biggest and best in recent memory."
Further reading
External links