Lei’s on The King Kamehameha Statue on Lei Day.
Living in the Hawaiian islands gave me a deep appreciation for the beauty of flower leis. During my years in Hawaii I made many trips to Chinatown to buy leis for arriving family and friends. The choice of leis are vast and the scented flowers delightfully delicate in their beauty. Historically Hawaiians made leis of many natural items including, feathers, shells, seaweed, beads, flowers, vines, leaves and other natural items. The recipient would be able to tell from the lei the skill of the lei maker as well as where they might live based on the items used to create the lei.
Today leis are given in Hawaii for many occasions and it is not uncommon to see a celebrant wearing several leis at the same time for a special occasion. One of the most popular leis is the fragrant white ginger lei. For weddings the Hawaiian wedding flower Pikake is both beautiful and fragrant. For men leis can be made of vines and ti leaves combined with a few fragrant flowers. Hawaiians give the lei as a symbol of affection, honor and love.
To make a simple flower lei you can use the Kui method. This requires 40 to 50 beautiful blooms, a length of dental floss, and a large needle. One with a hook end is helpful. A length of colored ribbon to tie off the finished lei is also useful and pretty. To create a lei simply tie many knots in the end of the dental floss. Give yourself more floss than needed for the length of lei you desire, just to be certain the length will be sufficient once the blooms are added. Simply begin by pulling the needle with dental floss through the flower bloom and pull it down the floss until you reach the knot. Continue in this fashion until your lei is filled with beautiful and fragrant blooms. Tie off the dental floss and tie it to the original end. Tie the colorful ribbon into a nice bow on the back of the lei, which will go behind the recipients head when wearing the flower lei. When I’ve made my own leis it’s generally taken me more than an hour to complete. Give yourself a great deal of extra time and be patient with the process, the finished lei will amaze you with it’s beauty.
For special occasions when I want to purchase a Hawaiian Lei I use Cindy’s Lei’s from Chinatown in Honolulu. Cindy’s shop does not have a website. Her shop can be reached at 808-536-6538. The shop is located at 1034 Maunakea St, Honolulu, Hawaii. I have ordered Leis from Cindy’s shop and had them shipped to the mainland. The leis arrived by air. They were fresh, fragrant and well packed in moist paper and well boxed. They make a very special gift for many occasions.
Flickr photo: Danairozo’s Photos and Karlandkristens photos