May Day is Lei Day with Mom

My mom arrived in Hawaii on May Day which in Hawaii is Lei Day. Lei Day began in 1928 when writer and poet Don Blanding suggested in a local paper that there should be a holiday that celebrate the Hawaiian custom of making and wearing lei. Shortly afterwards, writer Grace Tower Warren thought that the holiday should be May 1 on May Day. She coined the phrase, "May Day is Lei Day." In 1929, Lei Day was made an official holiday in the then territory, which is a tradition which was interrupted only during the years of World War II, and which continues today.



Like the first Lei Day everyone in Honolulu was encouraged to wear lei. Festivities were held in Kapiolani park with hula, music, lei making demonstrations and exhibits and lei making contests. Each of the islands has it own colors and flowers that represent it.

Fresh off the plane I took my Mom to Queen Kapioani park where we watched hula and listened to Hawaiian music. We then strolled through the booths and saw all of the lei that were entered into the competition. There were many different categories. We must have seen 200 leis in all. Of course, my mom had two leis that I picked up to welcome her and I was wearing one too. My lei was made of these orange seed pods that were about the size of golf balls. Several people informed me not to eat them because they were poisonous and that I may break out in a rash on my neck where they touched my skin. Luckily that did not happen.

Later we met up with Brian and with our friend Kiana. Kiana's girl friend Amy was in town. We were all going to the Lei day concert at the Waikiki shell. Kiana's parents made an incredible picnic for us all. The music was great. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and the true aloha spirit seemed to be moving through the crowd. The light show on the stage was great too.

Mom was a trooper though we left at intermission because she was nearly falling asleep. What a way to see Hawaii for the first time.