Lei are an instantly recognizable symbol of Hawai‘i. The wreaths of flowers and foliage worn by both men and women add fragrance and beauty to island life.
People from infants at their first birthday celebration to politicians wear lei!
Lei are beautiful, and steeped with symbolic meaning. Among the meanings are:
- Beauty from diversity – no two flowers are exactly alike
- Working together toward a common goal – it takes many flowers, shells, etc to make one lei
- We may have our differences, but we share a common foundation – all of the flowers, shells, seeds, etc are strung on one thread, or attached to one backing
- We are stronger together than apart – some types of lei are made from very fragile materials that when braided together are strong
There are many types of lei, falling into several broad categories: Lei poʻo, lei ʻāʻī, lei pāpale, lei humu papa, lei nīpuʻu, lei haku, lei hili, lei kā wili, lei wili, lei hilo, and the many variants of them.
As Princess Kawananākoa explained to Don Blanding many years ago, a lei is more than a garland of flowers hastily bought and carelessly given. She said that it should be made by the giver with much thought and consideration of color combination, fragrance, and design.
Lei also are more than flowers sewn on a strand. There are lei of seeds, shells, feathers, and even words. A special song composed for a loved one can be a lei. All of them are a tangible expression of aloha, and as such are given to show love, joy, or sympathy, and as greetings and farewells. In fact, poetically, a child is called a lei, because the child is the weaving together of the love of his or her parents and ancestors.
Historian and writer Emma Ahuena Taylor wrote in 1928, “The lei meant a great deal in old Hawai‘i. The favorite child in the home was called a wreath—a lei. Konia, the mother of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, when she spoke of Lili‘uokalani, called her the ‘lei ā‘i,’ or ‘the wreath of her neck.’ As to Princess Pauahi, her daughter, she spoke of her as her ‘lei po‘o,’ or ‘the wreath of her head.’ This has been told me by my mother.”
For millennia, Hawaiian poetry has celebrated the lei – from ancient chants to modern songs, from poetic metaphors to literal descriptions, the lei has been a popular subject. This fascination with the lei continues today, and even engendered a holiday, Lei Day, to celebrate this iconic part of Hawaiian culture.