The Colorful History Of Hawaiian Leis

In 1928, a poet named Don Blanding floated an idea in his Honolulu Star-Bulletin column: why not set aside a day to honor the Hawaiian lei? Grace Tower Warren, a songwriter, liked the concept so much she proposed tying it to May Day and coined the phrase “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.” The first celebration happened that same year in the lobby of the Bank of Hawaii. Governor Wallace R. Farrington made it official in 1929. Ninety-eight years later, Lei Day remains one of the most accessible, un-commercialized cultural events in the islands — and it raises a question worth asking: how did a simple garland become the centerpiece of a state holiday, and what does its survival tell us about Hawaiian identity today?

This guide traces the origins of the lei tradition and Lei Day as a formal holiday, explains what different lei materials and colors communicate, walks through major island-by-island events, and covers the etiquette that turns a simple gesture into a meaningful exchange. It is written for curious travelers and readers who want to understand the practice on its own terms — not as a souvenir, but as a living, contested, evolving cultural form.

Island Flowers and Their Meanings

Each of the eight main Hawaiian islands has an official flower and color, designated under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §5-16. These flowers form the foundation of competitive lei-making each May 1, and knowing them helps decode what a lei is communicating before a single word is spoken.

Note: These designations are legal under state law but not universally observed in everyday lei-giving. A lei made from a non-native flower or a mix of island colors is still a genuine expression of aloha.

The 1928 Newspaper Column That Started It All

Don Blanding was not Hawaiian. He was a mainland-born poet who moved to Honolulu and wrote for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. In 1928, he proposed a holiday dedicated to the lei. Grace Tower Warren, a songwriter, picked up the idea, suggested May 1 as the date, and gave it the slogan “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.” The first celebration took place in the lobby of the Bank of Hawaii — a far cry from the sprawling park gatherings of today. Governor Wallace R. Farrington made it an official holiday in 1929.

The holiday was invented, in the sense that a specific date and formal structure were imposed on a practice that already existed. But that invention took root because the practice itself was never invented. Lei-making and lei-giving are pre-contact traditions, carried across the Pacific by Polynesian voyagers and adapted in Hawaiʻi over centuries. What Blanding and Warren did was create a public container for something already deeply embedded. The 2026 theme — “Mai ka hoʻokuʻi i ka hālāwai” (from zenith to horizon) — explicitly invokes Polynesian voyaging, acknowledging that the tradition reaches far beyond Hawaiian shores.

One detail often lost in retellings: the first Lei Day in 1928 was a single event in a bank lobby. Within a year, it had moved to Honolulu’s City Hall, then to Kapiolani Park, where it remains today. The speed of that expansion suggests the idea met a real need — a public, inclusive moment to celebrate a form of expression that had always been central but rarely had a dedicated stage.

What a Lei Carries

A lei is not a wreath or a necklace in the Western decorative sense. In Hawaiian understanding, the giver weaves their mana — spiritual energy and intention — into the garland. The materials themselves carry meaning: lehua blossoms (red, associated with the volcano goddess Pele) communicate passion and respect; pikake (jasmine, introduced by Princess Kaʻiulani) suggests romance; maile (a vine) is used in ceremonies and weddings, often paired with palapalai fern. Even the technique matters: Kamehameha Schools documents over a dozen distinct lei-making methods — from simple wili (twisting) to complex haku (braiding over a base of ti leaf or other backing). A haku lei poʻo, worn on the head rather than the neck, is among the most skilled forms.

Lei are given to honor guests, celebrate graduations and weddings, mark life transitions, and welcome people home. Receiving one signifies being seen and valued. Refusing a lei — or removing it in front of the giver — can be read as rejecting the aloha offered. This is not a minor etiquette point; it is the core of the practice. The lei is a relationship, not an accessory.

There is ongoing debate within Hawaiian communities about the use of imported flowers in leis sold at airports and tourist hubs. Local flower supply has become difficult, and many leis encountered by visitors now use blossoms from Southeast Asia or Latin America. Some argue this dilutes the connection to ʻāina (land); others see it as adaptation. Lei Day celebrations, notably, have resisted this shift — contestants still use locally sourced, seasonally appropriate materials whenever possible.

Lei Day Across the Islands

Lei Day is not a single event but a constellation of community gatherings, each with its own character. The anchor is at Kapiolani Park on Oʻahu, where the Lei Court presides over a day of hula, music, Hawaiian protocol, and the annual lei contest — hundreds of entries judged on craftsmanship, creativity, and use of natural materials. The event is free and open, and visitors blend in with residents without any separate ticket or VIP section.

Other islands offer distinct experiences:

On May 2, the winning lei from Kapiolani Park is taken to Mauna Ala (the Royal Mausoleum) and Kawaiahao Church, where the Lei Court places them on the graves of the aliʻi (chiefs and royalty). Oli (chant) and hula accompany the ceremony. The lei displayed the previous day are reused in this closing ritual — a reminder that the garland is not a trophy but a living offering.

Paid events exist alongside the free ones: the Hawaiian Airlines May Day concert at Bishop Museum features performers such as Keauhou, Robert Cazimero, and Kealii Reichel, and Kalani Peʻa hosts an annual Lei Day concert at the Hawaii Theatre. These are ticketed, but the core celebration — the park gathering, the contest, the court — remains intentionally free.

For visitors who miss May 1, the Polynesian Cultural Center in Lāʻie offers lei-making demonstrations year-round and connects the practice to broader Polynesian garland traditions through its six island villages, staffed by cultural ambassadors from each community.

The question of what happens when these traditions travel beyond Hawaii — and who gets to participate — is worth examining directly.

Lei Across the Pacific

Hawaiian lei is part of a Pan-Polynesian tradition of garland-making that stretches across the Polynesian Triangle — from Hawaiʻi in the north to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the southwest and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east. Each culture has its own form, materials, and name, and the differences matter as much as the similarities.

Note: Māori tradition does not have a flower garland equivalent to lei; hei tiki is a neck pendant. The comparison is included to show where the Polynesian garland tradition diverges, not to force equivalence.

These similarities and differences are not academic curiosities. At the Polynesian Cultural Center, visitors can see six distinct garland traditions practiced by cultural ambassadors who come from those islands. The Hawaiian village on-site connects lei-making to chant, hula, and the ʻOnipaʻa theme honoring Queen Liliʻuokalani, whose legacy is inseparable from the flowers and cultural expressions Lei Day celebrates.

Questions Readers Ask

Can anyone wear a lei, or is it cultural appropriation?

Anyone can wear a lei. Leis are frequently given to visitors as a sign of welcome — that is part of the tradition. The key is wearing it respectfully: understanding what it means, not treating it as a costume, and following the etiquette around receiving and returning it.

Is it true you should not give a closed lei to a pregnant woman?

Some Hawaiian families observe this superstition. A closed, tied lei is thought to symbolize the umbilical cord wrapping around the baby. An open-ended lei — one that is not tied into a closed circle — is considered safe. The practice is not universal, but it is widely enough known that many artisans will ask before making a closed lei for an expectant mother.

What do you do with a lei after wearing it?

Return it to the earth. Hang it on a tree branch, bury it in a garden, or place it in the ocean after removing any non-biodegradable materials. Throwing a lei in the trash is considered disrespectful because the lei carries the giver’s mana and intention.

Do I need to be Hawaiian to make a lei?

No. Lei-making is taught in schools, community centers, and cultural organizations across Hawaiʻi, and many non-Hawaiian residents and visitors learn the techniques. The important thing is to use natural, biodegradable materials and to learn from authentic sources — not from a YouTube video made by someone with no cultural connection to the practice.

The Thread That Ties Hawaii Together

Lei Day has survived nearly a century because it asks nothing of participants except presence. No admission fee, no VIP package, no curated experience. You show up, you watch the contest, you maybe make a lei yourself, and you leave with a garland that someone wove with their own hands. In an era when Hawaiian cultural practices are often packaged for tourists — airport lei greetings now paid, luaus priced per head — Lei Day remains stubbornly free. That is not an accident. It is a statement about what the tradition is for.

The lei itself is a paradox: ephemeral by design (flowers wilt, shells can break), yet it carries meaning that outlasts the object. The 100th Lei Day will occur in 2028. If the first 98 years are any guide, it will look much like the first one — only with more people, more islands, and more hands weaving. For a deeper look at how oral tradition and storytelling carry Hawaiian knowledge across generations, read our guide to talk story and Hawaiian oral tradition.

For visitors interested in guided cultural experiences that include lei-making and protocol, consider booking a cultural tour on Oʻahu or the neighbor islands that connects you with local practitioners directly.

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Sources and further reading

Beat of Hawaii. “The Lei Day Tradition That Hawaii Hasn’t Sold Yet.” 2026. 🔗

Polynesian Cultural Center. “Lei Day Hawaii: History, Traditions, and Celebrations.” 2026. 🔗

Remitly. “Lei Day: Meaning, Traditions, and the Spirit of Aloha.” 2026. 🔗

Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §5-16. “Official flowers and colors of the islands.” 🔗

Related reading on IslandHopperGuides

The Untold Story of Queen Liliʻuokalani: Her Legacy and Hawaii’s History — Lei Day’s ʻOnipaʻa theme connects directly to the queen’s life and the cultural resilience she embodied.

Legends of Pele: The Fire Goddess of Hawaii — The lehua blossom, sacred to Pele, is one of the most significant lei materials on Hawaiʻi Island.

Pidgin Perspectives: Learning the Language of Local Hawaii — Understanding local language helps visitors engage with Hawaiian cultural practices like lei-giving more respectfully.