Lei Day at Kapiolani Park Honolulu

Events - City and County of Honolulu 98th Lei Day Celebration! Enjoy the beauty and grace of the international symbol of aloha at the 98 th Annual Lei Day Celebration! The festivities are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1 at Kapi‘olani Park. The lei is known the world over a symbol of aloha. Great care is taken in the gathering of the materials before they are fashioned into a lei. As this is done, the mana (spirit) of the creator of the lei is sewn or woven into it. Therefore, when you give a lei you are giving a part of you. Likewise, as you receive a lei, you are receiving a part of its creator. While lei have been crafted and given in Polynesian culture for thousands of years, the first Lei Day Celebration was celebrated on May 1, 1927 with a few people wearing lei in downtown Honolulu. Over time, more and more people began to wear lei on May 1, and thus began the t...