Aloha no!
We just started using the Google AdSense advertising service to help generate income to support our festival and programs. If you notice any inappropriate ads, please contact info@leiday.org immediately so that we can block them.
And, if you know of some very cool products we should promote, please let us know about those, too!
Mahalo!
On an auspicious day, Chinese New Year 2019, the Urban Kīpuka Project signed a Letter of Understanding with the Christiansen ʻohana to take kuleana for an amazing wahi pana in Hilo!
As you can see, the parcel is completely overrun with invasive species. We will be testing mitigation techniques for removing the invasives and replanting with native and traditional species. We will use traditional chants of the area as a guide fo selecting plants to use in rehabilitation, as well as traditional and kanu plants with the potential to financially support rehabilitation of the wahi pana.
To assure its safety and integrity, the exact location of this parcel will be disclosed only to those actively involved in its rehabilitation.
YOU can participate and kōkua through the Urban Kīpuka Project!
One of the questions I am frequently asked is “I know women wear the flower leis; what kind of lei do men wear?”
See this topic on Quora: Hawaiian Lei
The answer is that men, women, māhū, boys, girls, and any anyone else can pretty much wear whatever lei they wish. The important thing is that the lei be given and worn with aloha.
When I select a lei for someone, the first thing I consider is what the person will be doing, and how the person will be attired, when wearing it. Knee-length strands of pīkake would not be a good choice for someone who will be riding a horse, or surfing. But it might be perfect for a stately formal event, or for hula.
The next thing I consider is allergies. Be sure the recipient is not allergic to the materials used in the lei!
After that, I think of favorite flowers, colors, or anything else I know about the recipient.
There are some additional customs: Only give open lei to someone who is hāpai (pregnant). Since Victorian times, fragrant white lei are popular for brides. Lei hala are favored for graduations, funerals, and people from Puna. Strongly scented lei are avoided as gifts for musicians until after the performance.
Some flowers and foliage will stain clothing, but can worn with a low-cut or off-the-shoulder garment. Those wearing clothing which would be damaged might accept the lei with their hands, and place it where they can enjoy seeing it.
So feel free to give maile to a woman, and roses to a man. The lei is a cherished gift, and should be accepted as such.
We resume our classes on Sunday, February 3, with our monthly garden day at the park. We gather at 10am. Brown bag lunch. It would be helpful to have a couple of people make video so that our off-island haumāna can participate, as well.
Papa Oli 001: Please study Chapter 1, Kunihi ka Mauna
Papa Hula 001: Please be sure to read the lessons in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
Hula of the Monarchy: Please be sure to refresh yourselves on Chapter 1, Liliʻuokalani. We will run through Liliʻu E, and then discuss Kalākaua and Kapiʻolani, found in Chapter 2.
10:00 am – Gathering, Oli, Oli practice, basics
10:30 – Hula practice
11:00 – Gardening and lei making discussion
12:00 – Brown bag lunch, culture and language discussion.
1:00 – Pau
For only 99 cents and a few clicks, you can help fund the Hilo Lei Day Festival and a year of educational programs of He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei!
After you buy your copy, just share the link in your social media, and encourage your friends to do the same!
The author, Leilehua Yuen, is donating 100% of her royalties (35 cents per book) to the Hilo Lei Day Festival and He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei. If every person who buys a book gets two more people to buy a book, in less than a month the festival and all of its educational programs will be completely funded!
You can maximize your kōkua by following the following steps:
This book is perfect for lei makers, gardeners, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi students, hula dancers, or anyone else interested in Hawaiian culture and arts!
Ready? GO!
The art of lei making is in a renaissance, with talented artisans developing beautiful new lei for every occasion. But the ancient language and traditional terms are disappearing. In Hua ʻŌlelo Lei, they are gathered together in one handy reference book so that they can be remembered, enjoyed, and used.
Lei makers, scholars, researchers, students, crafters, and dabblers will find this a handy reference which will enhance their understanding of the depth and poetry of the art of the lei.
For only 99 cents more, you can double your support by purchasing the Legend of ʻŌhiʻa and Lehua!
Growing up in Hawaiʻi, Leilehua was reared in the household of her grandparents, Henry and Thelma Yuen. Weekends and summers were spent at their beach house. Although there was a generator for electric power, light was often provided by kerosene lamp. There was no television or radio because the transmissions could not reach that area. There was no telephone because the lines did not go that far out of Hilo. Cable and the internet had not been invented yet. So in the evening for entertainment, they read books, played music, and told stories.
This story, The Legend of ʻŌhiʻa and Lehua is the first Leilehua remembers learning as a child. Like a Rudyard Kipling “Just So Story,” it explains in a fantastical manner how the beautiful ʻŌhiʻa-Lehua tree came to be. But more importantly, it teaches a lesson of love.
Leilehua also presents information on the natural history of the tree, traditions of harvesting for lei making, some vocabulary specific to the ʻōhiʻa-lehua, and a glossary of Hawaiian words used in the story. Woven into the story are two traditional Hawaiian hula chants.
The story is about 1,700 words long, so it is ideal for reading to children, though adults will find it an enjoyable way to learn some Hawaiian culture and ethnobotany.
We had an amazing time at He Haliʻa Aloha o Liliʻuokalani 2018!
#hehaliaalohanoliliuokalani
#hehaliaalohaoliliuokalani
Laura edging the lauaʻe patch. She was supposed to give a talk, but you can see, she is totally “Hands-on!”
The canopy where we will be!
Alyssa is such an excellent teacher, working with mom and daughter to make a lei lāʻī.
Some people are just tool cool for words! 😎
So many people came to make lei! Through the course of the day, 60 stayed to make a full lei, and over 100 talked story.
The above image may look like a lush tropical landscape, but there are ZERO native Hawaiian species in this image. Except for the avocado tree (a 20th century introduced food crop) buried under an aggressive philodendron, all of the visible species at this site are highly invasive. Philodendron, running bamboo, and thunbergia have created an almost sterile biome lacking in diversity. Left alone, they will kill the avocado tree. There are virtually no understory plants, resulting in significant erosion of topsoil. The only fungi are molds.
A healthy biome comprises diverse species which fill many niches. The Urban Kīpuka Project will explore ways to re-create ecosystems with healthy diversity for small urban/suburban environments.
As so many of us know, Hawaiʻi has the unfortunate distinction of being “the extinction capitol of the world.” Many of our native birds are gone due to habitat loss and introduced diseases and predators. Many of our plants have been bulldozed away by development.
LeiManu Designs has started the Urban Kīpuka Project, which is developing small-scale low-cost techniques with which homeowners can easily add Native Hawaiian plants to their gardens, creating small ecosystems which can support our native fauna.
They are working with Liliʻuokalani Gardens and He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei to spread the word about the benefits of using native plants in landscaping for erosion control, beauty, sustainability, and as a backyard economic driver in small agriculture and floriculture.
To learn more about this project, contact Leilehua Yuen [Leilehua (at) LeiManu.com] and visit the Urban Kīpuka Patreon page.
Conservationists warn that maile, once abundant in Hawaiian forests, is disappearing. Only 30% is said to remain. Continued harvesting of wild maile could result in it being unable to replenish itself.
With graduation and wedding seasons rapidly approaching, the demand for maile will surge. Researcher Katie Kamelamela suggested to KITV4 giving a maile plant, instead of a lei. That way, the recipient will be encouraged to have maile for a lifetime.
In the meantime, while waiting for the maile to grow to harvesting size, people can make lei hilo, which have a similar look to the maile. Adding lauaʻe will even give it a similar fragrance.
A number of nurseries throughout ka Pae ʻĀina Hawaiʻi offer maile seedlings for sale.
He Moʻolelo Kō ka Lei offers lei making workshops throughout the year. Join us, share, and learn!
SIGN UP HERE to be added to our mailing list for classes and workshops.
Mahalo nui loa to everyone who came out for Lei Day 2018! And mahalo nui loa to our sponsors, without whose kōkua, the festival could not have happened. Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, through the Kūkulu Ola program, was our major funder, and also is providing major funding for our classes and workshops. The Carousel of Aloha is our fiscal sponsor for 2018. Kapoho Kine Adventures and Basically Books were there in our dire need, and Ke Ola Magazine provided major promotional support, and Dinnie of Destination Hilo got the word out in Hilo and to our island visitors.
Story and pix here, and for even more photos, visit us on FaceBook!
K.T Cannon-Egar of the Friends of Liliʻuokalani Gardens and many others contributed in so many ways, Mikell Gleason, Mary Adachi, Kevan Kendrik, Laura Williams-May, and Petronila Blank, LeiManu Designs, Kau Kau Kitchen, Hawaiian Heart Woods.
Our demonstrators, Lōkahi Lomilomi, Ola Jenkins of Destination Hilo, Chris Benders and friends of Open Arms Ministry, the Hilo Orchid Society, Hilo UrbFarm, and those sharing knowledge of our environment also shared aloha for the interconnection of body, mind, and spirit all day long.
Meanwhile the Palace Theater ran vintage movies and documentaries on local lei makers all day.
Our vendors provided tasty treats and fun gifts, Anykine Won Tons and Kula Shave Ice – Yum! Not Poi Designs, Orchid Isle Traders, Lahilahi Sun-Protection Powder, Lava Paws, Nadina’s Cremes, Pakele Creations, Indigogo Designs, and Maureen’s Island Gems.
Please continue to keep them in mind when you are looking for goodies and gifts. These all are local businesses. Money spent with them circulates through the local economy, and their vendor fees help to support our festivals.
After four months of almost non-stop rain, April 30 blessed us with overcast skies and a few gently sprinkles – just enough to keep the lei from wilting. Earthquakes through the night kept us on our toes!
Lei Day dawned overcast, but the rain stayed away, giving us perfect weather. Not too hot, not too cold, a gently breeze kept it from getting muggy.
The festival opened at 9:00 am with pule (prayer) by Kahu Leifi Hao. Always gracious, she shares so generously, and it is a delight to the ear to hear her ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi!
Last year, Kahu Leifi also shared pule at Liliʻuokalani Gardens for the Centennial of the Queen’s death. As this year a project begins to mālama Kalākaua Park, in honor of the Queen’s brother, it was felt most appropriate to ask Kahu Leifi to also pule for the Hilo Lei Day Festival.
To us, the beauty of this presentation, before the festival got “rolling,” is that it is NOT the big dramatic presentation in front of everyone for show. It was a small, personal ceremony – a kumu who carries her lineage from Uncle George Naope with grace and beauty honoring two women who embody the aloha of the lei.
Sometimes, we confuse the pageantry with the origin. The pageantry builds on the origin, but without the foundation it is hollow.
Mahalo to Kumu Meleana and her hālau for always staying true to her foundations, and providing a pā on which we stood to celebrate!
Kumu Meleana Manuel and her hālau, Ke ʻOlu Makani o Mauna Loa made a lovely lei presentation to our 2017 Floral Queen Kahōkūkauahiahionālani “Sammi” Fo, and our 2018 Floral Queen Thaliana Denise Leionaona Aipolani.
Kumu Meleana was the last alakaʻi to study under Uncle George Naʻope, and she carries on his traditional hula with grace and aloha, which can be seen in the loving faces of her haumāna.
As this year the festival fell on a Tuesday, most of the Ke ʻOlu Makani o Mauna Loa hālau members had to go to their “day jobs” after performing. Their taking time out to participate was a true gift of aloha.
Kumu Meleana also teaches and performs in Japan.
Providing musical accompaniment for Meleana and her hālau was Mr. Ben Kaili and Kapulanakēhau Tamuré.
Uncle Johnny Lum Ho was well represented by his haumana Kananiokalani Neizmen, and “Ka Uas,” a small group of women who are members of his “Gracious Ladies” pā.
Kanani was one of those who made time to come share his aloha for Hawaiʻi before heading off to work his “day job,” which meant bringing along everything he needed for hula, as well as his work attire!
Hilo Lei Day Festival coordinator Leilehua Yuen said, “We so appreciate those who honor Hawaiʻi by carrying on our cultural traditions amid the necessities of modern life!”
Ka Uas, who only use the full “Hālau Hula ka Ua Kani Lehua” inoa (name) when they are performing with Uncle Johnny, had an earlier performance at the Veteransʻ Home, so Barbara, Patty, and Melia danced later in the day.
Their beauty and aloha shone through their hula, and they were able to stay after and enjoy the festival and, with their beautiful lole hula, add to the color and festivity of the event!
Serena Massery, haumana to Kumu Leilehua Yuen, represented the Kingdom of Kauaʻi with nā hula E Hoʻi ke Aloha i Niʻihau and ʻUla Nōweo. Her kaʻi was Hoʻopuka e ka Lā ma Kahikina, and her hoʻi was Hoʻi e, Hoʻi no. Serena is working on her master’s degree in food sustainability through studying the kalo farming of Kauaʻi.
Serena also was part of the “Midnight Decorators,” helping to provide security for the displays, stage, and sound system while making lei through the night. She crafted her lei poʻo and lei ʻāʻī of tī in the hilo style to represent the maile-lau-liʻi, the small-leafed-maile of Kauaʻi. Her lei kīkepa was made by lei hili workshop students, two from Belgium who just happened to be walking by as class began. They stopped and asked what was going on, and found themselves making lei for the festival! Rather than take the lei and have to dispose of them, the travelers donated the lei back to the festival.
Another of the “Midnight Decorators” was Kiriko Redondo, also haumana to Kumu Leilehua. Kiriko represented Hawaiʻi Island with the kaʻi and hoʻi E Kuʻu Lei Lehua, and the hula Nani Haili Pō i ka Lehua.
Kiriko is an alakaʻi to Kumu Leilehua, and teaches Hawaiian culture and arts, as well as hula, in Korea.
Kiriko originally studied with Yoshiko Sensei of Yokohama. When Kiriko expressed a desire to challenge herself with further study in Hawaiʻi, Yoshiko Sensei gave her permission to move to Kumu Leilehua’s hālau in Hilo. Kiriko now travels between Korea and Hilo to pursue her studies.
Historical figures came in for a visit. Pualani Johnson reprised her role as Liliʻuokalani, The last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands. Pualani has portrayed the queen numerous times, and has steeped herself in the history and heritage of the queen.
Before and after her presentation, she strolled the park, in character, interacting with festival attendees, educating people in the most gracious manner regarding the history of the Hawaiian Islands.
Last year, during events at Liliʻuokalani Gardens, and at the Church of the Holy Apolstles, Pualani portrayed the Queen for the commemoration of the centennial of the monarch’s passing.
Spencer’s Invincibles joined us, as part of the story of an often-neglected lei – the lei manō. Spencer’s Invincibles were a Hilo militia privately funded and mustered by Thomas Spencer (portrayed by Joel Kelly) to fight in the American Civil War.
Kumu Leilehua Yuen presented the hula He Motu ta Ura, which had been used as a victory chant by Kalaniʻōpuʻu. Her Kaʻi was Hoʻopuka e ka Lā i Kai o ʻUnulau. Her hoʻi was Hoʻi e, Hoʻi no.
From a festival of Floralia, the Roman goddess of flowers, to neo-pagan celebrations, to a workersʻ holiday, May Day has been celebrated around the world. In Hawaiʻi, it is most famous as Lei Day. May Day also has been observed as a day of protest.
However it is commemorated, it usually marks new beginnings and growth. Perhaps you will find your own unique beginnings to observe or celebrate on this special day.
