The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation’s Annual Lei Day Celebration is held at the Kapi‘olani Park on May 1st of each year, rain or shine any day of the week. The all-day event features a wide variety of island musical & hula performances, Hawaiian cultural protocol, the world renowned Lei Contest, lei-making workshops, artisans and merchants all in a family friendly setting!
Before the celebration, our Lei Court is selected to preside over the lei festivities, and serve at the City’s cultural ambassadors of aloha. Following the celebration, fresh flower lei from the Lei Contest are taken to Mauna ‘Ala (The Royal Mausoleum) and Kawaiāha‘o Church to be placed on the graves and tombs of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i (royalty). If you’ve never experienced a Lei Day Celebration in person this video will give you an idea of the magic and beauty of this time-honored tradition. We hope to see you there!
Table of Contents
Lei Court
Ho‘omaika‘i (Congratulations) to the 96th Lei Court
Pictured from left to right: First Princess Pualeilani Kamahoahoa, Queen Kuʻuleialoha Llanos, and Princess Xian Pomare. Lei Queen Kuʻulei is a Waipahū native and Sacred Hearts Academy alumni. Mother of four wonderful children, and devoted wife to Kino, Ku‘ulei is a federal court worker who spends her free time supporting her ‘ohana, as an ʻōlapa (dancer) for Halau Hula ‘O Hokulani, and as a volunteer. In particular, helping to organize the Young Women Prom Event, hosted by Honolulu City Councilmember Andria Tupola and Empower Hawai‘i. Ku‘ulei also captured the title of Mrs. Hawai‘i USA in 2021, being awarded the People’s Choice and Mrs. Congeniality awards during the National Pageant. These awards exemplify the grace, humility, and professionalism Ku‘ulei displays in every aspect of her life.
Lei Day Celebration
97th Lei Day Celebration: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the celebration is held throughout Queen Kapiʻolani Napelakapuokakaʻe’s namesake park on the first of May (regardless of the day of the week, rain or shine). The all-day event features a wide variety of island musical & hula performances, Hawaiian cultural protocol, the world renown Lei Contest, lei-making workshops, artisans and merchants all in a family friendly setting! The Lei Court ‘Ohana reign over the festivities, which begin with a performance from the fabled Royal Hawaiian Band (the only municipal band in the country). Then the court enters the parks bandstand, greeted with hula and giving of ho‘okupu (gifts), during the Lei Court Ceremony. Once the ceremony is complete, the court inspects and officially opens the Lei Contest for public viewing. The coveted Lei Contest Exhibit showcases some of the world’s most exquisite handcrafted lei in a variety of materials, colors, and styles. The public viewing of these lei lasts throughout the rest of the celebration,
Lei Day Celebration themes, featured flora selected through 2027
- 2025 (97th Celebration)
Theme: Hoʻokahi ka ʻilau like ʻana (1068)
Translation: Wield the paddles together (work together)
Theme material: hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus)
- 2026 (98th Celebration)
Theme: Mai ka hoʻokuʻi i ka hālāwai (2059)
Translation: From zenith to horizon (invoking spirits from everywhere)
Theme material: ʻuala or sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)
- 2027 (99th Celebration)
Theme: Pae mai la ka waʻa i ka ʻāina (2566)
Translation: The canoe has come ashore (satisfied hunger, desire)
Theme material: kou (Cordia subcordata
Like a gardener tending their māla pua (flower garden) ahead of lei making, or the crew of a wa‘a (canoe) charting their course ahead of a voyage, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is pleased to announce the themes and featured flora for the Lei Day Celebrations through 2027!
Celebrated on first day of May, each annual Lei Day Celebration embraces a particular theme and coinciding flower or plant. In conjunction with the Hōkūle‘a’s Moananuiākea journey circumnavigating the Pacific Ocean, DPR has selected voyaging proverbs from Mary Kawena Pukui’s ‘Ōlelo No‘eau (Bishop Museum Press 1983) to guide the next Lei Day Celebration themes.
Lei Contest
Ho‘maika‘i to the winners of the 2024 Lei Contest!
Ho‘omaika‘i (congratulations) to Melvin “Moki” Tracy Labra for winning the Mayor’s Grand Prize for his lei wili poepoe made of kī, kukui, maile, and palapalai. Labra was also awarded for seven other lei at this year’s contest, and won last year’s grand prize. This year there were 167 entries for the contest in three major categories and several smaller divisions. Mahalo to all of the talented lei-makers who entered the contest, especially the talented keiki participants. In all, the winning lei-makers were awarded with nearly $5,400 in prize money and the prestige of winning one of the most renowned and exquisite lei-making competitions. For a photo gallery of the Lei Contest on Facebook click the image above.
Rules & Applications
Workshop Information
Can’t wait for a lei workshop in-person? No problem! This video from our Nā Pāka ma ka Hale (Parks at Home) series shows you how to make a Hili (twist) style lei with roses from paper. This style of lei is usually seen made with ti leaves, but here is an example of how to use paper or ribbon if ti leaves are not handy. Magazines, newspaper, or strips of fabric can also be used. Use your imagination and what you have on hand and remember May Day (May 1) is Lei Day in Hawai‘i!
Mauna ‘Ala & Kawaiāha‘o
The Lei Day Celebration is not just a one-day event! The celebration is finalized the morning of May 2 during the closing ceremony at Mauna ‘Ala (The Royal Mausoleum) and Kawaiāha‘o Church. At that time, flower lei from the Lei Contest are placed on the graves of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i (royalty) as a final display of mahalo and aloha. The Lei Court also performs hula and oli (prayer).
History of Lei Day
The lei known the world over, is a symbol of aloha. Great care is taken into the gathering of the materials to make a lei. After the materials are gathered, they are prepared and then fashioned into a lei. As this is done, the mana (or spirit) of the creator of the lei is sewn or woven into it. Therefore, when you give a lei, you are giving a part of you. Likewise, as you receive a lei, you are receiving a part of its creator.
While lei have been crafted and given in Polynesian culture for thousands of years, the first Lei Day Celebration was celebrated on May 1, 1927 with a few people wearing lei in downtown Honolulu. Over time, more and more people began to wear lei on May 1, and thus began the tradition of “May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i.” The first lei Queen, Miss Nina Bowman, was crowned by then Honolulu Mayor Charles Arnold in 1928. The slideshow above provides some visuals of the Lei Day Celebrations throughout the decades, with photos courtesy the Hawai‘i State Archive and Honolulu Advertiser.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large, in-person events were restricted, our island community found innovative ways to celebrate this uniquely Hawaiian holiday. This included a video presentation to mark Lei Day (to the right) in 2021, and the Nā Lei Koa in 2020 to honor our first responders.