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Lei Day in Hawaiʻi: date, flower lei and the celebration

Hawaiʻi · Regional

Lei Day is celebrated each May 1 in Hawaiʻi and honors making, wearing and giving lei. A lei is a garland that can combine flowers or other materials. For a gift ask for a finished wearable lei and specify the flowers, size and pickup.

Carnation against a dark green background
Colour and shape vary between cultivars. Use it as a visual reference rather than to identify a plant.

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Hawaiʻi

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May 1 in Hawaiʻi

Lei Day is a Hawaiʻi celebration connected with its culture and the making and exchange of lei. These can be made with flowers and leaves, but also seeds, shells or feathers. Not every lei is a flower necklace.

It shares May 1 with May Day baskets in other parts of the United States. The preparations are different: a basket to give or display and a garland to wear. You will find Lei Day under Hawaiʻi in the calendar.

Ordering a flower lei

Carnations and tuberose are two flowers used in lei making. For your gift start with the color and the style you want to wear. Ask about its size, weight and how to store that arrangement until the handover. Instructions for a vase bouquet do not apply to every lei.

An example order would be “I would like a carnation lei to give on May 1. I will pick it up that morning. Please explain its size and how to transport it until I give it.” If Hawaiʻi-grown flowers matter to you ask about their origin when choosing the order. Picking it up there does not by itself identify where the flowers were grown.

Visiting the celebration or entering Honolulu’s contest

In Honolulu the annual May 1 celebration takes place at Queen Kapiʻolani Park. It includes displays, music, hula, workshops and a lei contest. For a visit check that year’s programme and choose the activities that interest you.

To enter a lei check the categories, measurements and contest receiving point before making it. One year’s rules and receiving times do not necessarily carry over to the next. Ordering a personal gift and preparing a competition piece require different instructions.

Which flowers to choose

Compare flowers to choose the format, colours and care that suit the occasion.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give a bouquet instead of a lei?

For a personal gift you can choose carnations with a card. To give a lei ask specifically for a finished garland. For Honolulu’s contest prepare the entry required by its rules; a vase bouquet is not equivalent to that entry.

What date does the calendar copy save?

It saves May 1 as a single all-day occasion. Honolulu also has closing ceremonies on May 2, but these and their times are not added to this occasion. Check that year’s programme to attend those events.

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