Worn around the neck and shoulders, a lei is a garland that's usually made of fresh flowers, seeds, leaves, vines, or fern fronds, but other items, such as seashells, can be used to create one. Introduced by the early Polynesians, the custom of making and giving lei (pl.) to others was a popular tradition that continues to this day.
In the early 1900s, tourists arrived by ship, and they were often greeted with lei. When leaving Hawai'i to return home, visitors would throw the flower garlands overboard as they passed Diamond Head. Many thought this was a good luck gesture, guaranteeing that like the lei, which floated back to the island, they, too, would return to Hawai'i someday.
Whenever a big occasion, such as a wedding, occurs, friends and family often gather to make lei in celebration of the event. Graduation marks a special time in Hawai'i, and it's common for the person being honored to receive so many lei that he or she can barely see above them! Also, lei are commonly worn by hula dancers, and on May 1, everybody wears them in celebration of Lei Day.
Some of the most common flowers used in making lei include plumeria, lehua blossom, orchid, and pikake. Other natural items, such as maile leaves, ferns, and ti leaves are used, too. While you may not have these materials with which to work, you can reuse fabric scraps, paper, or just about anything to string into a lei. We'll save natural resources, energy, and landfill space by reusing polystyrene trays to make ours.
