May 1, or May Day, is known as a day for celebrating spring and is also a day for recognizing labor rights. In Hawaii, though, May 1 is most well known for being Lei Day.
The statewide celebration of Hawaiian culture, music and arts draws plenty of local spectators and tourists alike. Several islands host festivals and activities, especially the most touristed islands, and schools often put on their own celebrations, including theatrical performances.
Poet laureate Don Blanding first expressed the idea of celebrating a lei day in Hawaii. He worked at the Honolulu Star Bulletin and shared the concept with columnist Grace Tower Warren, who suggested May Day and coined the phrase "May Day is Lei Day." The first Lei Day was held on May 1, 1928.
The lei is a symbol of aloha and one of the most known expressions of welcome and hospitality. Great care goes into collecting the materials and crafting the pieces. Leis often reflect the place they were made, and each island has its own symbol of a color and a flower, tree or shell. For example, Maui's is pink and the lokelani flower, Oahu's is yellow and the ilima flower and Kauai's is purple and the mokihana tree.
Honolulu's festival at Oahu's Kapiolani Park is the largest May Day event in the state. The day-long, free affair features performances by the Royal Hawaiian Band, hula, an inauguration ceremony for the Lei Day Queen and Court, lei contest and exhibits, local entertainment, storytelling, Hawaiian games, and food and craft vendors. Each year, the Lei Queen, selected using several criteria, including lei making skills, hula proficiency, and Hawaiian language fluency, presides over the festivities along with her court.
Another tradition stemming from this holiday is the annual Cazimero Lei Day Concert. Hawaiian musician Robert Cazimero has been holding this annual concert for over 30 years, always inviting a selection of fellow musicians to accompany him. This year, with May 1 falling on a Monday, the concert will be held on April 30 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. Before the show, there will be music and hula performances and local arts and crafts fair.
Maui's Lei Day Festival is held at the Bailey House Museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, organized by the Maui Historical Society, is free and features special presentations, craft demonstrations, and a lei making contest.
The Kauai Lei Day Festival features lei making contests and tutorials, food and crafts vendors and live music. The home base for the festival is Kauai Museum in Lihue. Kauai doubles down on the May Hawaiian cultural festivals, with the May Day by the Bay, this year held on May 13. The event, held at Wai'oli Beach Park, includes music, hula, cultural demonstrations, a made-in-Kauai crafts fair, silent auction and Hawaiian food. There are also opportunities to learn and play konane, sometimes referred to as "Hawaiian Checkers," make a lei, and learn more about lauhala (weaving using the leaves of the hala tree), pounding poi and more.
The organizers of the annual Lei Day Festival in Hilo, on Hawaii Island, announced on the event's Facebook page in March that the event is canceled for 2017, and they hope to return next year.