Na Lei o Hawai`i
The Flower Garlands of Hawai`i

      Instructor Leilehua Yuen learned lei making from her grandmother, Thelma Yuen, during summers and weekends spent at Kehena in Puna on ka Moku Hawai`i. See the Classes page for information about instruction in lei making and other Hawaiian crafts.

     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. Not all lei are made from flowers. A special song composed for a loved one can be a lei. But 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 modern times, a lei is often given with a kiss. The story goes: During World War II, a hula dancer at one of the USO clubs was dared by her girlfriends to kiss a handsome young officer. She met the challenge by going up to him and giving him her lei, saying, "It is our custom to give a kiss with a lei." Thus a new "ancient" custom was born.
     In ancient times, however, a lei was never placed over a person's head and given with a kiss - pleasant as that modern tradition is. To "na po`e kahiko", the people of olden times, the head was sacred. People did not put their hands or arms above another's head. A lei was carefull wrapped in a special container, often made of fresh ti leaves, and handed to the recipient. If the lei was for a very high ranking ali`i, then the lei would be handed to a retainer to give the ali`i.

Making Lei

Halau Hula Na Mohala Hala`i dancer/haumana Yoshi  picks `a`ali`i seed capsules to fashion into the lei he will wear to dance He Moku Ka Ula. `A`ali`i, because of it's tenacity and endurance and its ability to withstand strong winds, is often incorporated into lei for dances which depict battles, or call on additional strength. It's beautiful red, orange, and yellow colors also are reminiscint of the colors of a sunset, so it also is prized lei of that theme.

Haumana hula Naoko, visitng from Japan, picks liko lehua for the lei she will wear to dance Ke Ao Nani. Liko, the budding branch tips, are symbolic of regeration and re-growth. Thus they are often used in hula honoring children. They also symbolize growing into wisdom. 

The halau took a field trip up the Saddle Road to pick their foliage to make lei for the annual Volcano race at which they danced.

The "stuff" of lei making - a completed lei haku in the foreground. `A`ali`i, liko, la`i, palai, and other materials wait on the table to be fashioned into lei.

Na haumana (l-r) Anela, Naoko, and Yoshi in Kumu's back yard as they prepare la`i for weaving lei haku. Lei haku are made by braiding in three ply and carefully inserting the foliage into each wrap as the braid is formed.

Yoshi and Leilehua make lei hilo (twisted two-ply ti leaf lei) from la`i harvested in Kumu's back yard. 

Naoko and her finished lei haku incorporating liko lehua, `a`ali`i, palai, kupukupu, and moa.

Island Lei and Colors

Back in in the days when Hawai`i was a territory, the county leaders decided that in order to make pagentry (a big tourist draw) more colorful and appealing, the different islands should be distinguished by different lei and colors. This would make parades, festivals, and pagents more interesting and colorful, they felt. It seems to have worked. The most eagerly awaited sections of any Hawaiian parade are the pa`u princesses, each decked out in the colors and lei representing her island, astride her flower-caparisoned horse, with her matching outriders and pages.

• Hawai`i - Lei Lehua, red

• Maui - Lei Lokelani, pink

• Kaho`olawe - Lei Hinahina, silver

• Lana`i - Lei Kauna`oa, orange

• Moloka`i - Lei Kukui, green

• O`ahu - Lei Ilima, golden yellow

• Kaua`i - Lei Mokihana, purple

• Ni`ihau - Lei Pupu o Ni`ihau, white

A Glossary of Lei Terms

haku - three-ply braid. A method of making a lei by using a base material, such as soft la`i, and braiding it while adding the decorative plant material into each wrap of the braid. Lei laukukui and lei laua`e are typically made with this method.

hili - braid or plait. A method of making a lei by braiding together only one kind of material. Lei palapalai and lei kauna`oa often are made using this style.

hilo - twist, double helix, intertwine. A method of making a lei by twisting two strands together to form a rope. The popular and simple lei la`i (ti leaf lei) is made using this method. It also is another method of making the lei kauna`oa.

hipu`u - a method of making a lei by knotting the stems of the decorative plant material and stringing the next stem through the knot. It requires a very long stem on the decorative material. Some lei laukukui and lei laupohuehue are made with this method. (Same as nipu`u)

humu, humuhumu - sew to a backing, basting stitch. A method of making a lei by sewing the decorative material to a backing such as lauhala, paper, or felt. Lei bouganvilla and feather hat lei often are made with this method.

kui - pierce, piercing stitch. A method of making a lei by sewing or piercing the decorative material with a needle and stringing it onto a thread.

la`i - leaf of the ti plant.

lei papale - any lei worn on a hat.

lei po`o - any lei worn on the head.

nipu`u - a method of making a lei by knotting the stems of the plant material. (See hipu`u)

papale - hat.

po`o - head.

wili - wind, twist, crank, coil. A corkscrew-type twist - as found in Porky Pig's tail and the seed pod of the wili-wili. A method of making a lei by winding a string around successive short lengths of the decorative material. Somethimes a base material such as lauhala, a thick raffia braid, etc. is used to make wrapping easier.