A fragrant plumeria lei
The art of stringing fresh flowers and other natural materials into bodily adornments developed in ancient Hawai'i, and has survived to become synonymous with the Islands. Since the early days of steamship travel, visitors to Hawai'i's shores were presented with flower lei upon arrival. The custom of placing the lei over the visitor's head and giving them a kiss became popular after WWII, and continues today. Beautiful and delightfully fragrant, lei are true symbols of aloha.
History of the Lei
Ancient Hawaiians presented lei to chiefs, visitors and loved ones at times of parting, arrival and on special occasions. Hula dancers adorned themselves with special lei, including a crownlike lei worn on the head, called a "lei po'o," and smaller lei worn around wrists and ankles, called "kupe'e." Modern hula dancers must create their own lei from native materials to wear when they dance "kahiko," or ancient style, dances. With the advent of tourism, many Hawaiians supported their families making and selling lei to visitors. Lei makers embraced new, exotic flowers and found creative ways to string new kinds of lei.
Lei Making Methods
The "Kui" method, one of the simplest methods of lei making, is the process of stringing flowers by piercing them with a needle and thread. Stringing blossoms through the throat, as is commonly done with plumeria flowers, is called "Kui Pololei." Piercing flowers near the center of their tubes and laying them flat on both sides to form a band is called "Kui Lau." Stringing the flowers from their bases and arranging them so that they face outward like a wheel is called "Kui Poepoe." Leis of these styles are often made with orchids.
Another lei making method, "Hilo," involves twisting two pieces of material together to make a rope. Hilo means "to twist or intertwine" in Hawaiian. This method is commonly used to make ti leaf lei.
The "Wili" method involves tightly wrapping materials between two or more pieces of raffia. This method is used for head lei ("lei po'o") and hat lei ("lei papale") and produces a thick, dense lei, usually made of a combination of materials.
Materials Used for Lei
Fresh flowers are the most well known material for leis. Durable, brightly-colored orchids and fragrant plumerias are some of the most popular components of modern leis, but whole flowers are only one of many materials used for traditional leis.
Some lei are made with specific parts of flowers, like the "Kukuna o ka la," or "rays of the sun" lei, which is made from mangrove calyxes.
Fresh leaves from green or yellow ti plants and strands of fragrant maile foliage are still beloved components of lei in Hawaii.
Attractive seeds, like the kukui nut, are used to make long lasting lei.
Shells are also used to make durable lei, such as the famous "Momi" lei made on the Island of Ni'ihau.
Bird feathers are used to make the beautiful lei called "Lei Hulu." In ancient times, brightly colored native birds were trapped for their feathers. Today, these painstaking and intricate lei are made with feathers from domestic birds.
Other materials traditionally used to make lei include seaweed, hair and even bone.
Modern Lei Crafts
Since most of us live farther from the forests today, many new materials are being used to fashion lei. Recyclables, like colored plastic bags, are perfect for making twisted or braided lei. Old chewing gum wrappers folded into squares, and strung snugly together through the center, make thick, colorful lei. Long lasting lei can be made by knitting or crocheting yarn into a long tube, tied at the ends. A fun lei for children's birthdays is easily made by rolling wrapped candies in a length of colored tulle fabric, and tying each piece of candy in place with colored ribbons.
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