May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i. For all of you who thought that a lei greeting is only something that happens to tourists at the airport, hotel or hotel luau, here is a list of events at which you might expect to give or receive a lei once you buy your home in Hawai'i:
- House blessing (one of my favorite closing gifts!)
- Birthday
- Anniversary
- Graduation
- Winning any kind of award or recognition
- Mother's Day
- Hula performance (as a dancer!)
- Valentine's Day
- May Day
Yes, our May Day tradition is a bit different from that on the Mainland. This year Easter came very close to May Day, and so on the Big Island that means we've just finished the week of Merrie Monarch Festival Hula competition. For an entire week we've had television coverage of some of the most incredible hula in all styles. That combined with May Day when many locales will offer classes in lei making, has given us a double dose of Hawai'ian culture this year.
Coming close to the end of the school year, Lei Day is one of the most anticipated and fun days of the School Year. Since May Day fell on a Sunday, some schools had their celebrations on Friday and others are waiting until Monday. The kids will come to school wearing leis, there will be ukulele music and hula dancing, and usually a king and queen.
I grew up mostly in Colorado and during the years my parents taught at what was then Colorado State College, they were faculty sponsors for the Hawai'ian club. Homesick students held their annual Lei Dance in May and my siblings and I got the privilege of bearing the lei for the king and queen.
A hui hou
Beth
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