As May Day at the Kaua’i Museum draws closer, lei-makers from all areas of the island prepare for the festivities. They go out into to their yards, by the side of the road, and into the forests to collect flowers,
As May Day at the Kaua’i Museum draws closer, lei-makers from all areas of the island prepare for the festivities. They go out into to their yards, by the side of the road, and into the forests to collect flowers, ferns and just about any other growing thing that can be woven into a lei.
The gathering of these bouquets heralds the coming of Spring, and in this spirit, the Kaua‘i Museum invites locals and visitors to participate in the 23rd Annual May Day Lei Contest on Thursday, May 1.
The tradition of making and wearing lei id deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture. In the early 1900s, as Hawai‘i was becoming a popular tourist destination, a tradition of lei being presented to arriving visitors quickly grew.
‘The Hawaiian way of respect for gathering from nature is crucial to the survival of our precious mountain environment. We ask that you gather from your garden first and then sparingly from the forest.’
Marta Birchard, lei contest organizer
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In 1928, artist and writer Don Blanding, suggested that the people of the islands recapture the spirit of lei wearing. Blanding encouraged everyone in Honolulu to wear a lei on May Day, and so the tradition continues.
The Lei Contest is open to all residents of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau. All lei must be made with natural plant materials that include: flowers, leaves, sees, seed pods, stems, roots and fruits. Since this is the “Year of the Hawaiian Forest” the Kaua‘i Museum reminds everyone that use of maile and mokihana is prohibited. Additionally, lei containing endangered plants will not be accepted.
“The Hawaiian way of respect for gathering from nature is crucial to the survival of our precious mountain environment,” says Marta Birchard , Lei Contest organizer. “We ask that you gather from your garden first and then sparingly from the forest.
Lei will be accepted at the Kaua‘i Museum on Thursday morning, May 1, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and will be available for viewing from noon to 5 p.m.
All lei become the property of the Kaua‘i Museum . Cash prizes and ribbons will be awarded by the judges for outstanding lei.
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LEI CONTEST AWARD CATEGORIES
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• Mayor’s Award: $100 cash/calabash & purple ribbon • President’s Award: $100 cash & gold ribbon • Trustee’s Award: $100 & silver ribbon • Ginger Alexander Award: $100 and green ribbon • Grace & Lyle Guslander: $200 & red/yellow ribbon
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