lei traditions
The story the lei still tells
What a lei means in Hawaiian culture, and why this show builds a whole evening around one.
Reserve Nā Lei Aloha ↗A lei, at a glance
| Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Kuʻi | Piercing flowers on a needle and thread — the most familiar lei-making method |
| Haku | A three-ply braid worked around decorative material |
| Wili | Winding fibre around short lengths in a corkscrew twist |
| Giving a lei | Offered with a slight bow, raised above the heart |
More than a flower necklace
Lei have long marked rank, honoured gods and celebrated guests in Hawaiian culture, strung from flowers, leaves, shells or feathers depending on the occasion and the island.
How a lei is made
Lei-making covers several distinct techniques — kuʻi, the needle-and-thread piercing most visitors recognise, haku's three-ply braid, and wili's corkscrew winding around a fibre base, among others.
The etiquette of giving one
A lei is traditionally offered with a slight bow and raised above the heart; touching someone's head with it is considered disrespectful, and an open lei is the version given to anyone pregnant or nursing.
What happens when a lei is done
A worn lei is never meant to be thrown in the bin — tradition holds it should return to nature, buried, burned or hung in a tree rather than discarded.
Lei Day
Hawaiʻi has marked Lei Day every first of May since 1927, with each island carrying its own symbolic lei and colour.
Why this show centres on one
Rather than treat the greeting lei as a photo prop, the hoʻike performed here is built to tell that same story — how a lei is strung, worn and given — through mele and hula across the evening.