Candace Hee

Aloha from Hawaii

I was born and raised in Hawaii. Hawaii, a place so unique, from our beautiful beaches, exotic foods, many different cultures and right down to our "Aloha" spirit, no where in the world can compare. That being said, Hawaii has many unique traditions. One of these is the art of the lei. In older times, leis signified royalty and their ranks. Leis were made from a multitude of items, such as flowers, leaves, shells, nuts, feathers and sometimes even the bones of animals. Fast forward to modern day and the advent of tourism. The lei became the symbol of Hawaii. So much that they are an important part of Hawaii celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries and especially graduations. Covid has changed so much of our way of life. Lei gifting is still very important here in Hawaii. The lei is a symbol of love, friendship, celebration and honor or greetings. It is essentially the symbol of Aloha. Tweaking the original floral lei to make something more stable and lasting, ribbon lei making was born. While the style has changed, the etiquette of lei giving and wearing still remains the same. Anyone can wear a lei. A lei greeting is very important and should never be refused. It is often presented with a kiss and or a hug. It is customary to wear the lei as long as the person who gave it to you is present. Removing it is a sign of disrespect