Last year Honolulu-based lei maker and stylist Meleana Estes made her debut in the publishing world with her gorgeous book “Lei Aloha: Celebrating the Vibrant Flowers and Lei of Hawai‘i,” a touching homage to lei making and the people in Hawai‘i’s lei community. Brimming with beautiful photos of lei and flowers, the book shares the […]
While hula is the main attraction at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the gorgeous flowers used in lei and other adornment are show-shoppers, too. Many of these flowers are native to the Islands and have cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. Here are some flowers you might see on stage this year. Read More: 6 Iconic Tropical
The Donkey Mill Art Center partners with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) each year, providing free workshops with the purchase of a $5 festival button. Attendees can check out cultural activities that make Hawai‘i unique: natural dye, lauhala weaving, lei making and live demos. Thanks to an invitation by KCCF organizers, I had the
From birthdays and graduations to weddings and momentous achievements, lei is a ubiquitous gift commemorating celebrations and life transitions. The gift is considered a symbol of gratitude, love and honor in Hawaiʻi. For many long-time residents, it’s a ritual to visit the neighborhood lei stand to pick a gift made from fresh pua (flower) such as
Hawaiʻi has long lured visitors with its tropical climate and golden beaches. But recently there has been concerns about how tourism—particularly overtourism—is impacting Hawaiʻi’s natural environment. And, maybe more importantly, how Hawaiʻi has changed to accommodate visitors. Traditions are ignored, culture is dismissed, and visitors aren’t experiencing what really makes the Islands so unique and
Growing up in Kaimukī on O‘ahu, Keoni Williams remembers learning how to string plumeria lei with his grandmother, who used to work in a flower shop in Hilo. “That’s one of my earliest memories of making lei,” Williams says. “It kinda stuck with me through the years.” So when the pandemic hit in 2020, Williams
It’s Q&A time, as we’ve got a whole round of new questions to be answered by the hosts of the Have Aloha Will Travel podcast. If you ever wanted to know how to get a lei to your friends and family on the Mainland, or need clarification on the hours of Diamond Head State Monument, then
A question we often receive from readers is how they can ship haku lei—or any lei—from Hawaiʻi to the Mainland (continental United States). The answer is really just knowing which local lei companies to use. The gesture of giving and receiving lei is incomparable. To adorn someone you love with a colorful, fragrant accessory made entirely
While Hawaiʻi was the first Guinness World Record holder of the world’s largest lei—recorded in 2008—the title was since been taken by San Pedro Laguna, Philippines with a 1.3-mile lei and is now currently is held by Chennai, India in 2012 with a 3.11-mile long lei. Now, the Aloha State is looking to reclaim the
It’s a crisp Saturday morning, and I’m thoroughly enjoying myself as I pick through baskets of laua‘e, kupukupu and palapalai ferns, allspice, red and green ti leaves, Song of India leaves, carnations, baby’s breath, fuchsia bougainvillea, red ‘awapuhi (ginger), roses and other flowers and foliage I don’t know the names of. I’m gathering materials to
Stacy Farias holds up a strand of precious pakalana, strung together with hundreds of delicate flowers, and the sweet scent perfumes the air. More flower lei are arrayed on the table in front of her: pale orange pua kenikeni, plumeria in rainbow shades, precious pakalana, ti twisted into handsome lei for men. Sophia’s—the place is
May Day doesn’t have to be the only reason to give or receive a lei*—beautiful necklaces of flowers, leaves, feathers or shells that have become synonymous with the Hawaiian Islands. Rooted in deep Polynesian history, the lei were worn by ancient Hawaiians for adornment but also were used for distinguishing themselves apart and for ceremonial purposes. Tourism
