May Day is Lei Day
May day is Lei day here in the islands and a day to rejoice in celebration of a tradition that is very much an integral part of the culture and custom of the islands. It begins with the lei maker who in the process of making the lei also weaves within its strands and flowers, the mana (power) and energy of the maker. By giving the lei to someone, a part of the lei maker is given in love and friendship to the person receiving the lei.So, the next time someone shares a lei with you, know that the lei was put together with much care and love. It is the aloha (love) that binds us all.
There are many ways to make a lei - from the simple to the complex, the threading, braiding, and intricate weaving that goes into making a lei.
The shell leis in the image above are made first by carefully drilling fine holes before they are stranded together. The process takes approximately three days.
On Sunday, the eve of May day, I had the opportunity to watch my auntie as she carefully and meticulously made a "hili" lei. This form of lei making is one of the more complicated methods and I have taken some pictures if you are curious. I also added some pictures of May day into the gallery before my camera petered out. I need a new camera - any suggestions?
posted by Kala at Monday, May 01, 2006
9 Comments:
thank you for putting up the gallery, Paris! I see there are many diff. types of Lei ..and great symbolic gift :)
Interesting post
didn't know lei making was such an intricate process. how interesting!
btw, i like your postcards blog!
That's really cool! I always thought that leis are only made with flowers. The lei your aunt was doing is wonderful! Do they have lei making competitions on lei day as well? I see that the lady in your photo has something on her revers...
Hi Nicola - yay, nice observation! I forgot to mention that - I told my Auntie she should enter but she said she was planning to give that to a friend but here is a link from the local paper on the lei competition :
Star Bulletin
Hi Paradise and Bob - thanks for stopping by , I forgot to note, that the lei my auntie was making is intended to be worn on the head and why the back of the lei was made of all ferns - so its comfortable and does not poke the head - it took 2 hours to complete - addmitted I fell asleep half way through :P
And to fotoaddict, thanks for viewing the gallery as well =)
I wondered whether people would be interested in this sort of stuff. Happy blogging =)
I love all the history you include here. It's fascinating.
The pics of your Aunt making the lei are just amazing. I had no idea how much work went into making those. Beautiful.
The pics are gorgeous. This is truly a labour of love. Thanks for sharing.
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