‘Lei is aloha’: Love for all things lei highlighted at city’s May Day celebration

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hundreds of lei lovers gathered at Kapi’olani Park Monday for the city’s 95th annual Lei Day Celebration.

No matter the day of the week, the event always happens on May 1 ― Hawaii’s “May Day.”

There were hundreds of strands of colorful flowers on full display. The event was filled with Hawaiian music, hula, crafts and ‘ono food.

Kama’aina and malihini were also invited to make lei of their own with on-site lessons and demonstrations from lei makers.

“So much lei here, and colors. Everyone wears a lei, everyone represents. Any kind of lei you can think of, anything around your neck, your head — everything. It’s beautiful,” 2001 Lei Queen Piilani Bell said.

Side by side with her sister Uilani Bell, who is also a former Lei Princess, the two enjoyed the festivities while reflecting on the special act of sharing lei.

“You know they say people are flowers. And each person makes up a lei. And all these different people, all these different cultures, bring them together. We string them together, and that’s our Hawaii,” Uilani Bell said.

At the helm of the celebration was this year’s Lei Queen Kuʻuleilanimekealohamau Kūpahu-Marino Kahoʻāno. She followed through with her run for the court in honor of the late Aunty Betty Jenkins.

“So what does it mean now? Even more so that I’m honoring her and the many kupuna that have really passed on their their gifts of love,” Kahoʻāno said, fighting back tears. “And my grandmother — my first lei were plumeria and koa seed.”

She recalled giving the lei of her early days to a local roller derby club.

Kahoʻāno says she never expected to be Lei Queen, but was equipped with the necessary skills required for the role, including lei making, hula, and ‘olelo Hawaii.

“It’s the tradition. We’re almost 100 years of this legacy, so I think to be a part of that is a great honor,” she added. “Lei connects. Lei is aloha. And for me, lei is Ke Akua and so that’s the gift of love.”

Meanwhile, Leilani Kana’auao flies to O’ahu from the mainland yearly to be a part of the event. She’s a lei maker living in California who teaches classes and shares Hawai’i’s culture abroad.

“The artistry, and just seeing young and old create and share with the world, essentially — because I feel so many people love Hawaii and love what the lei stands for,” Kana’auao said.

Next year, applicants to the lei court must be in the opio age group, or between the ages of 18 and 30. More information is available on the city’s website.