PCC’s Lei Day competition marks 95 years of celebration through leis that reflect identity, love and the artistry of hands and heritage
Garlands of colorful flowers, leaves and coconut lined the bridge in the Hawaiian Village at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) on May 1 for its annual Lei Day competition. Community members, including BYUH students and PCC workers, showcased their artistic and meticulously crafted lei creations as part of Hawai‘i’s 95-year-old celebration known as “May Day is Lei Day.”
The winners of the four lei categories were announced as follows (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place):
All Flower Lei - Keanui AhYou, Turi Kekuaokalani, Michaelle Tahiata
Fresh/Natural Lei - Turi Kekuaokalani, Lili Filipo, Falemei Tipi
Coconut Lei - Michaelle Tahiata, Turi Kekuaokalani, Keleane Tahiti
Yellow Lei - Turi Kekuaokalani, Royal Nikora, Karly Nikora
President’s Choice: Tereiti Robinson
Admiring beyond aesthetic
Keanu Manoa, Hawaiian Village manager from Lāʻie, said “The idea of Lei Day is actually more of a modern thing, but the idea of lei is very ancient.” Among the many purposes leis serve, he explained they are traditionally worn to adorn oneself, express love and care, and symbolize identity and honor. As the narrator for daily hula presentations in the Hawaiian Village, Manoa shared hula dancer wear lei to pull people toward the story by representing who they tell in the performance. “We adorn ourselves with things that might be found in the stories. If we’re talking about a certain mountain, we’ll wear flowers or plants from that mountain,” he explained.
Hawaiian believe everything was initially created spiritually before physically, he said. With this belief in mind, Manoa said traditionally, Hawaiian would ask the flowers or plants, “Would you come with me and make beautiful lei?” Beside admiring the beautiful color and shapes of the flowers, Hawaiian also pay attention to the feelings from interacting with nature when gathering lei materials, he said. When people respect nature in that way, the lei becomes more beautiful, he added. But when people gather flowers purely based on appearance, without acknowledging their spirits, Manoa said “That's not super Hawaiian.”
In a time where technology and automation dominate, Manoa said, creating something special with your hands using nature is becoming a rare skill. He emphasized the importance of preserving and passing down this artistry, saying lei-making teaches both patience and mutual respect for nature. Once trying to make lei in his adulthood, his respect for the laymakers grew and his patience developed during the making process because, “It’s hard,” Manoa said.
Meaning Woven Into Every Lei
Taking home the first place for Fresh/ Natural Lei and Yellow Lei; and the second place for All Flower Lei and Coconut Lei category, Turi Kekuaokalani from Big Island said his most special lei featured rose-shaped coconut ornaments on top of individual ti leaves. He explained the lei “represents my family,” by using only materials gathered from his family’s backyard.
Kekuaokalani said each lei told a story tied to his family. His yearning to create something “out-of-the-box” and exotic, Kekuaokalani described he layered the bird of paradise flower one at a time on top of each other to craft his all-orange natural lei with a touch of purple and red flowers in between. “Orange is my uncle’s favorite color,” he added. His yellow lei, which he described as his personal favorite, was lined end to end with yellow plumeria—a flower and color cherished by both his aunty and himself. In the All-Flower Lei category, he pushed his creativity further by incorporating tree bark, something he had never used before, paired with pink and red blooms for contrast.
Joining him in the competition was his sister, Tara Kekuaokalani, who said her brother inspired her to participate. “He’s been teaching me different ways to form or shape using different flowers,” she said. Still early in her lei-making journey, Tara said she sees the event as a learning experience that allows her to be more expressive, creative and experimental with various types of flowers.
Visiting from Missouri, Corrine Tobias said, “Whenever I see someone with a lei on, it makes me think of the person that gave it to them loves them very much” She shared a lei full of yellow and white plumeria was her favorite design because of its fullness and simplicity.
