The lei

Lei Day, since 1928

Hawaiʻi has kept Lei Day since 1928. Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation tells its history in a short paper.

To verify: Date and place of the first Lei Day, from the Honolulu paper

A sign of aloha

A lei is a sign of aloha. People say the maker’s feeling is woven into it, along with the flowers, shells or candlenuts.

To verify: Confirm this in the Honolulu paper, and add a Native Hawaiian source

How we tell it

The lei belongs to Native Hawaiian culture. We tell it as a garland made by hand and given; the aloha is the giver’s, not the garland’s.