The 8th Annual Lei Day celebration was a beautiful event held at the East Hawai'i Cultural Center in Hilo yesterday. Music, hula, crafts, food, lei demonstrations, vendors, storytelling and lei everywhere!
This was scheduled as a Zero Waste event and Recycle Hawai'i was on hand as one of the sponsors. One of the craft vendors was an old friend...Glenn Okuma the Coconut Trader with an attractive display of some of his wares... We met someone who lives just a couple of miles from us, Cymber Lily who entertained us with lovely harp music..and a host of talented musicians and dancers who all performed graciously donating their time for free...Please go to the Lei Day website and at the very bottom of the page you can read about the kokua and wonderful aloha shown by all of the participants in this event who donated of their time and talent to ensure the day was a success.
Randy Lee demonstrated throughout the day how to weave different style lei. Lei can be made of almost any material; of course flowers, greenery, seeds, feathers, shells and anything that can be strung together or woven. For this particular lei, Randy used 'ohia tips and buds and bits of the wawa'iole club moss fern. Randy was wearing a lei made from a double strand of shells and his hat band, or lei papale, was also made made by him using shells...down below you will see a larger detail of his shell lei papale.
Her Floral Majesty, Lei Day Queen 2012 Hokulani "Aunty Sammi" Fo who graciously reigned among friends, hula students and admirers.
Lei, lei, lei! Everyone is wearing lei!
From top clockwise: Queen "Aunty Sammi" wearing a seed lei and fresh flower lei; Randy Lee's shell lei papale; harpist Cymber Lily wears a feather lei po'o or head lei and feather lei...a guest was wearing a stunning lei made from blue jade vine blooms and underneath she also wore a lei made from white butterfly ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium); photographer Rita French wearing a sweet smelling puakenikeni lei; display of assorted lei made from recycled materials by Recycle Hawai'i and Brenda Cloutier, our hostess for the Queen's Tea wearing an orchid lei, a puakenikeni lei and a big smile!
Another beautiful tradition...wearing flowers in our hair...
The delicious food was served on pieces of ti leaves and cloth napkins and eaten with compostable chopsticks...part of the Zero Waste effort... From top clockwise: gluten free banana bread; Insalata Caprese (fresh tomatoes, basil and homemade mozzarela); sweet cream dip for fresh fruit served in the hollowed out bottom of a pineapple; fresh pinapple pieces; assortment of delicious teas; photo of a small serving of food on a piece of ti leaf; kalua pork in slow cooker; fresh strawberries and fresh veggies (tomatoes, green bell peppers, yakon, cucumbers and carrots) and nasturtiums served with homemade cheese dip.
The event closed at 3 pm with the singing by everyone of Hawai'i Aloha!
...with much aloha, I leave you with the music and voice of Bruddah Iz (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - May 20, 1959 - June 26, 1997) singing Hawai'i Aloha along with a bunch of people on a beach somewhere in Hawai'i nei...
Mahalo nui for your kind words, Terciana...So glad you enjoyed your visit to our islands and hope you will come back sometime soon
Posted by: Sonia | July 11, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Hawaii is PARADISE! My husband and I were the for our hoemnyoon last week in Waikiki, and I want to move there!!!! So beautiful, so peaceful, so amazing! And the Hawaiian people are the NICEST, most friendly, and happy people we have ever been around! They help to make Hawaii keep its paradise status! We are all ohana, cousins, and keep the spirit of Hawaii alive! Hawaii may be part of the United States in name, but it's a world of its own. I have never been around such a large group of happy people that are ready to embrace strangers and introduce them to their wonderful and amazing culture. I want to learn how to speak Hawaiian, and I HAVE to go back there! I hope that Hawaii continues to pour out happiness on all of its visitors and their own people forever. You don't know how alive you are until you've visited Hawaii! Being there has given me a whole new outlook on life no worries, hang loose, and EVERYTHING is only 15 Hawaiian minutes away (which is unheard of in Chicago where everything's a rush!). Long live Hawaii, mahalo!
Posted by: Terciana | July 11, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Mary, you can string one together...You are always surrounded by beautiful flowers! it was a delicious day for all the senses!
Posted by: Sonia | May 07, 2012 at 06:47 AM
Sonia~ All those wonderful blooms and gorgeous organics at my fingertips would make me hyperventilate! I would so love to string one together~ perfect for May Day!
Posted by: Mary | May 07, 2012 at 12:36 AM
Aloha Gwen! I will check the event page and if at all possible will try to make it...Mahalo for letting me know!
Posted by: Sonia | May 05, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Aloha Sonia,
We are getting together for a Big Island blogger meet-up this month in Keauhou. I know it is far for you, but check out the event page and list your blog here, even if you aren't able to make it: https://www.facebook.com/events/233244613443329/
Love your lei day post by the way, wish I could have been in Hilo for the event.
Gwen
Posted by: Gwen | May 05, 2012 at 09:06 AM
Me too, Lucy...Sammi Fo is such a classy lady...
The leis, the hair arrangements and the food were all good...also the music...it was a very good day!
Posted by: Sonia | May 03, 2012 at 06:49 PM
Leis and flowers are such an incredibly beautiful tradition here in Hawai`i. I was given a blue jade lei years ago and never forgot it. Great to see beautiful Sammi Fo as Lei Day Queen! The food looks good, too!
Posted by: Lucy | May 03, 2012 at 06:42 PM
Mahalo, Rita!
Posted by: Sonia | May 02, 2012 at 06:25 PM
Awesome blog! Will email you your photos soon!
Posted by: Rita | May 02, 2012 at 05:57 PM