Your pāpale [paah-pah-leh] is your hat. A lei pāpale is a lei you wear on your hat. It might be a lei haku, a lei wili, a lei humu papa, or any other style. But if it is on your hat, it also is a lei pāpale!
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‘Ohu’ohu – Decked out with leis. A celebration is more fun when you are ʻohuʻohu!
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I often am asked which is a “man’s lei” and which is a “woman’s lei” to give. Well, just as Hawaiian names are non-gendered, lei are non-gendered. Give the lei that pleases the recipient. Speaking in broad generalities, a lei with pale fragrant flowers (pīkake, white or yellow ginger, gardenia, tuberose) is often selected as a gift for a woman, while a darker, less fragrant lei (cigar flower, maile, tī) is often selected for a man. But these are modern ideas brought in well after WWII. Old photos show both men and women delighting in all types of lei.
The love of beauty is part of the living heart. Male, female, or anywhere in between – we are attracted to beauty.
Once, someone e-mailed me in quite the quandary. He had been told that to show his love, he had to give his sweetheart lei pīkake for Valentine’s Day, and that the number of strands showed how much he cared for her – the more strands, the greater the love! What bunk! By that reasoning, someone who could afford 30 strands loves the girl 30 times as much as some fellow who only has a few dollars in his pocket? Ridiculous.
“No,” I replied. “To show your love, find out what lei she likes best, and then make one for her. Call the florists and find one who will teach you. Also, find out who she is most close to – her Mama? Her Tūtū Lady? Make a lei for that lady, too. When you go to pick her up for your date, give a lei to her makuahine or her tūtū first, then give her the lei you made for her. Be sure you open the car door for her and shut it gently!” I think they are still together.
So, wear and share the lei you love with joy, and share that joy with your beloved!
Word of the Day: MALUŌ – The careful use of natural resources to prevent depletion. A new word, it combines malu (quiet, safe, protected) and ō (thrive). Helu wawe maluō: Conservation hotline.
The Hilo Lei Day Festival strives to promote maluō as part of its kuleana and educational objectives.
Like and follow our page for updates on classes, workshops, and events, and support us by purchasing “Hua ʻŌlelo Lei – A Lei Maker’s Dictionary.”
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PAʻA – Firm, solid, not going to fall apart.
When we make a lei, we want it to be paʻa – the bindings or braiding made firmly so that the lei will not fall apart. When making a lei for hula (or anything else), it must be paʻa so that it does not fall apart or come off during the dance, or any other activity. We would not want to give someone a poorly made lei that will fall apart when it is worn.
We can apply that same lesson to our lives. We can craft our lives to be paʻa, so that whatever happens, we keep ourselves “together.” This can include things like doing regular maintenance on our cars (changing oil, keeping coolant topped off, making sure tires are properly inflated and have enough tread) so that when we need our cars, they are in good working order. It can include regular maintenance on our homes (keeping the roof clean and painted to prevent rust, keeping weeds off the foundation to prevent foundation damage, repairing any toilet or sink leaks to prevent rot). And it can include eating properly, exercising, and getting enough rest to keep our bodies in good condition.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Kumu Leilehua
Hiking – “I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains – not hike! Do you know the origin of that word ‘saunter?’ It’s a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, ‘A la sainte terre,’ ‘To the Holy Land.’ And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.” – John Muir
Let’s do a lei saunter!
hi’uhi’u – The braided ends of a lei haku which are left attached and used for tying the lei.
ihi – To peel or strip bark or fruit, as when stripping bark for lei maile.
Learn more lei-making terms with Hua ʻŌlelo Lei, a Lei Maker’s Glossary, available for only 99 cents on Amazon.
ʻehipa – Somewhat crooked. Experienced lei makers carefully sort their materials, and keep the tension even when making a lei so that it is not ʻehipa.
Nānā ʻole nā lima, ʻehipa ka lei. The hands don’t pay attention, the lei is crooked.
“My kūpuna who taught me lei making said that they could tell a person’s mental state by looking at the lei the person was making. If it was ʻehipa, a bit crooked, out of kilter, not evenly made, they would say the person’s mind was distracted, a bit out of kilter. They would advise doing something soothing, and then coming back to the lei with more focus.” ~Leilehua Yuen
Learn more lei-making terms with Hua ʻŌlelo Lei, a Lei Maker’s Glossary, available for only 99 cents on Amazon.
‘A’ai – Bright or vivid, as when colors contrast with each other. For example, when a yellow feather lei is worn on a black velvet holokū (traditional Hawaiian gown), the feathers appear more bright and lustrous, and the velvet appears more dark and rich.
Learn more lei-making terms with Hua ʻŌlelo Lei, a Lei Maker’s Glossary, available for only 99 cents on Amazon.
