May Day is Lei Day and Thriving

On May 1st of last year, the residents of Oahu set a world record by stringing a lei that measured 5,336 feet long. May Day is more commonly known in Hawaii as “Lei Day” therefore making the hand-picked garland of flowers feat all the more sweeter.

In 1927, American poet and Honolulu Star-Bulletin columnist, Don Blanding had an idea and a sense of humor, as he put it, “not that it gave me a headache.” Blanding pitched the editors of Hawaii’s second largest newspaper the following,

“Why not have a Lei Day?” Let everyone wear a lei and give a lei. Let it be a day of general rejoicing over the fact that one lived in a Paradise. Let it be a day for remembering old friends, renewing neglected contacts, with the slogan “Aloha,” allowing that flexible word to mean friendliness on that day.” – HawaiiHistory.org

Two years after its inagural celebration, Lei Day became an official holiday. More than 80 years later, Lei Day is celebrated in forms of lei making competitions, concerts, and most importantly the practice of giving lei to others.

Around the State, children will adorn their schools with the different types of lei with fauna and flora setting the stage for hula and other cultural dances and performances. Here is a list of activities throughout the islands open to the public:

• 82nd Annual Lei Day Celebration – Kapiolani Park – Oahu May 1-2
• Live From the Lawn – Hawaii State Art Museum – Oahu May 1
• May Day is Lei Day Party – Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand – Oahu May 1
• 28th Annual May Day Lei Contest – Kauai Museum – Kauai May 2
• May Day Celebration: Festival of Flowers – Kapalua Resort – Maui – May 1
• 5th Annual May Day Lei Day Festival – The Palace Theater – Hilo May 3
• May Day is Lei Day – Waikoloa Beach Resort – Kohala Coast May 1
• May Day Lei Making Class – Amy B. Greenwell Garden – Kealakekua May 1
• May Day Celebration – Lanai High and Elementary School – Lanai May 2

The Aloha Spirit is alive and well and thriving outside of the isles. Here’s a list of activities in other states:

• May Day is Lei Day – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library – San Jose, CA May 1
• Lei Day – Freemont Street Experience – Las Vegas, NV May 1-3
• Lei Day Las Vegas 2009 – California Hotel – Las Vegas, NV May 2-3
• Annual Flower Fair – St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – Cambridge, MA May 1
• May Day Arts and Crafts Hawaiian Festival – Thomas Jefferson Middle School – Vancouver, WA May 2
• Big Bruddah Tour: Primo’s Lei Day – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA May 1

Did we miss your event? If so, please leave a comment below.

May Day is Lei Day is Hawaii, but you can be anywhere in the world to celebrate the joy of giving.

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