The specifics of the history of the lei are largely lost. It is known to have its origins in ancient Polynesia some 2,000 or so years ago. Traditionally it was an act of gifting naturally-made necklaces to express respect or affection to one another. As time went on the lei tradition travelled to Hawaii and grew to represent those of status like royalty. The lei held great significance throughout history there forth. Present-day the lei is a prominent relic, a beautiful, timeless symbol of Aloha that holds enormous importance in Hawaiian culture. I grew up where graduations, funerals, farewell ceremonies, welcome homes, you name it, if it was a significant achievement or life event, there were leis. They are so readily available too! Grocery stores and gas stations have fresh flower leis near the door, nicely refrigerated, and restocked regularly.
Moving away from Hawaii meant that the cultural traditions were left behind. But I wasn’t so disappointed for myself, it felt off to send people off on deployments or retirements and I had nothing but a handshake to offer them. Or if someone were giving a speech after a promotion and they would be standing in front of the crowd, their neck just bare. I couldn’t drive to the nearest 711 to buy a lei, and fresh flower “leis” here were way out of my budget. So I had to dig into the archives and look up how to make them myself.
I started with yarn and I loved that those who received my early attempts at sharing my culture were genuinely appreciative. But I wanted to continue to improve and decided to upgrade to ribbon. What started as single-strand ribbon leis will eventually grow to double-strands more color combinations, and more customizable tidbits. I have fun relearning money folds from when I was little, and figuring out what threads work or how to integrate lettering.
I get so excited to present it every time. When I make them for someone I’m in a good headspace, and put care into making sure that nothing but positivity is getting passed through my hands to create this symbol of gratitude, affection, respect, and pride. I want the recipient to feel special because they are!
I plan on continuing to make them, especially for my kids. They may not grow up with it as common a tradition as I had, but they’ll know the meaning behind receiving and giving a lei. It is always in Aloha. It is to comfort, to bid farewell, to say hello, welcome, to congratulate and celebrate, to show respect, and to express love. It is an outward showing, a symbol that you are loved, and you are worth the spotlight.
Hi Moments 