Department of Parks and Recreation Ka ʻOihana Mālama Pāka a me nā Hana Hoʻonanea

Lei Day Page Graphic

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation's Annual Lei Day Celebration is held at the Kapi‘olani Park Bandstand on May 1st of each year, regardless of the day of the week. Following the celebration, fresh flower lei from the Lei Contest are taken to Mauna ‘Ala (The Royal Mausoleum) and Kawaiāha‘o Churche to be placed on the graves and tombs of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i (royalty). For an excellent history of the Lei Day, click here and experience nearly 100 years of celebrating lei in Hawai‘i nei!

Ho‘omaika‘i (Congratulations) to the 95th Lei Court!

The 95th Lei Court (from left to right): Princess Lulani Kaehulaniokekai Chung-Kuehu, Princess Madison Kamalei Espinas, Queen Tehina Kaʻena Kahikina, First Princess Angela Jeanell Cezar Miranda, Princess Shailyn Makana Marie Wilson, and Princess Sara Noʻeau Campbell.

In an amazing display of solidarity, the six candidates of the 2024 Lei Court decided before ’s the Lei Court Selection Event (Saturday, March 2, 2024) to include all of the candidates in the 2024 Lei Court. This creates four princess positions as part of this 95th Lei Court. Typically, the top three candidates from the selection event determine the Princess, First Princess, and Queen.

  • Queen Tehina Kaʻena Kahikina
  • First Princess Angela Jeanell Cezar Miranda
  • Princess Shailyn Makana Marie Wilson
  • Princess Madison Kamalei Espinas
  • Princess Sara Noʻeau Campbell
  • Princess Lulani Kaehulaniokekai Chung-Kuehu

Lei Queen Tehina is an ʻōlapa (dancer) of Ka Pā Hula o Kauanoe o Waʻahila who has been dancing with Kumu Maelia Loebenstein Carter for 16 years. A Punahou and UH Mānoa graduate, Tehina’s passion and education center around Hawaiian Studies and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Well-versed in a variety of lei-making styles, her passion for lei has led her personal drive to understand more about harvesting protocols, environmental awareness of native and invasive species, and practicing mālama ‘āina. As she stated in her Lei Court application, “May we pick with intention and aloha and return our lei back to ʻāina.” From her youth spent mainly makai paddling and surfing, to her young adulthood focused more mauka, Tehina cherishes her time in Kuli‘ou‘ou and in Waikīkī, where she holds found memories of dancing hula and playing in the popular waters.

Lei Queen Tehina and her court now join the prestigious lineage of Hawaiian cultural practitioners represented by the Lei Court ‘Ohana. This 95th Le Court was determined during the selection event March 2, 2024 inside the historic Mission Memorial Auditorium and Honolulu Hale Courtyard. The event was a beautiful celebration of Native Hawaiian culture, hula, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and of course lei-making.

Mahalo to all of the fantastic participants and the jubilant spectators who attended the selection event, including previous Lei Court members: 2023 Queen Leilani Kūpahu-Marino Kahoʻāno, 2023 First Princess Melodie Lynn Leinaʻala Naluaʻi Vega, 2023 Princess Charlene Kapualani Kauhane Harano, 2022 Queen Natalie Brown Ah Quin, 2018 Queen Charlene Leimomi Irvine, 2017 Queen Perle Marie Puamōhala Kaholokula and many, many more Lei Queens and Princesses.

2024 Lei Queen Tehina and her court will preside over the 96th Annual Lei Day Celebration festivities, and will be the City’s Ambassadors of Aloha at a variety of public events.

The 96th Annual Lei Day Celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Kapi‘olani Park, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Along with Hawaiian entertainment, demonstrations, and exhibits, the celebration event will feature a lei contest exhibit showcasing some of the most exquisitely crafted lei in a variety of colors and methods.

The first Lei Day 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 Honolulu Mayor Charles Arnold in 1928. 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 in 2021, and the Nā Lei Koa in 2020 to honor our first responders.

Fresh flower leis displayed in a colorful array

 

Lei Day Celebration themes, featured flora selected for next four years

Themes based on voyaging proverbs in honor of Hōkūle‘a’s Moananuiākea journey

O‘AHU – 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 next four Lei Day Celebrations!

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 Lei Day Celebration themes from 2024-2027. They include:

  • 2024 (96th Celebration)

Theme: Komo mai kāu māpuna hoe (1836)

Translation: Dip your paddle in (join in the effort)

Theme material:  or ti (Cordyline fruticosa)

Lei Court: ʻŌpio (age 18 – 30)

  • 2025 (97th Celebration)

Theme: Hoʻokahi ka ʻilau like ʻana  (1068)

Translation: Wield the paddles together (work together)

Theme material: hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus)

Age: Mākua (age 31 – 45)

  • 2026 (98th Celebration)

Theme: Mai ka hoʻokuʻi i ka hālāwai (2059)

Translation: From zenith to horizon (invoking spirits form everywhere)

Theme material: ʻuala or sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Age: Mākua oʻo (age 46 – 60)

  • 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)

Age: Kūpuna (age 61+)

 

Theme materials correlate with particular categories of the prestigious Lei Contest. We encourage all lei makers to plan out their lei garden for the next four years so that the materials are ready and available as the particular Lei Day Celebration approaches. 

LEI COURT

LEI CONTEST

Applications

Rules and Applications

Workshop Information

Ho‘omaika‘i to the winners of the 2023 Lei Contest!

200 lei submitted as part of the 95th Lei Day Celebration

(Left to right) Judges examine lei during the lei contest. Mayor’s Grand Prize-winning lei and its sewer Melvin “Moki” Tracy Labra.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) are proud to announce the winners of the Lei Contest presented during the 95th Lei Day Celebration held at Kapi‘olani Park yesterday!

Ho‘omaika‘i (congratulations) to Melvin “Moki” Tracy Labra for winning the Mayor’s Grand Prize for his lei wili made of: baby’s breath, dusty miller, hinahina, kukui, maile, pala‘ā, palapalai, rose, and statice.

This year there were 200 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.

The other winning lei-makers, and their corresponding categories, are as follows:

CATEGORY

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

uliuli/poni (blue/purple)

Alison Grace Higgins

William Char

Megumi Matsuyama

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

‘ula‘ula / ‘ākala (red/pink)

Melvin "Moki" Tracy Labra

Rosalani Irene Oga

Joel Gabriella Kelley

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

melemele/‘alani (yellow/orange)

Honey Lalaina Coleman

Joel Gabriella Kelley

Gienah Southichack

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

palaunu/‘ōma‘oma‘o (brown/green)

Melvin "Moki" Tracy Labra

Joel Gabriella Kelley

Carla C. Fukumoto

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

 ke‘oke‘o/hinahina (white/gray)

Gienah Southichack

Dale T. Acoba

William Char

LEI‘Ā‘Ī (Neck Lei)

 (mixed)

Ayesha Yasmine Liquorish

Joel Gabriella Kelley

Shoi Shizuko

LEI PĀPALE (Hat Lei)

Joel Gabriella Kelley

William Char

Melvin "Moki" Tracy Labra

LEI POʻOMANAʻO (themed lei)

Lei Kuahiwi (mountain lei)

Reginald J. Dela Cruz

Melvin "Moki" Tracy Labra

Ayesha Yasmine Liquorish

LEI LANAKILA MUA

(beginner lei)

Sanoe Kamaleiakalani Kelley

Kaoru Nakashima

Keawekuloa Leong

LEI LIPINE

(yarn, ribbon, fabric lei)

Sayuri Hieida

Tomoko Inoo

Yumiko Adachi

LEI ‘ŌPIO (youth lei)

5 & under

Alexandra Christine Young

Eden 'Orihau Keenu O Kekailua Teriirere

Nora Grace Kimiko Dote

LEI ‘ŌPIO (youth lei)

6-8 years

Pasen K. Shields

Tikehau Alilea Morikawa

Lucille Scout Smith

LEI ‘ŌPIO (youth lei)

9-12 years

Moriah Joan Liquorish

Moriah Joan Liquorish

Moriah Joan Liquorish

LEI ‘ŌPIO (youth lei)

13-17 years

Sanoe Kamaleiakalani Kelley

Tea Maile Ing-Lee

Hailia J. Jibok

The fresh flower lei from the Lei Contest were taken to Mauna ‘Ala (The Royal Mausoleum) and Kawaiāha‘o Church on May 2. During that time, the 2023 Lei Court and members of the public placed the lei on the graves and tombs of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i.

Mahalo to the thousands of participants, performers, and lei enthusiasts who enjoyed yesterday’s Lei Day Celebration and today’s closing ceremony!

Ho‘omaika‘i (Congratulations) to the 94th Lei Court!

The 94th Lei Court (from left to right): Princess Charlene Kapualani Kauhane Harano, Queen Leilani Kūpahu-Marino Kahoʻāno, and First Princess Melodie Lynn Leinaʻala Naluaʻi Vega

  • Queen Leilani Kūpahu-Marino Kahoʻāno
  • First Princess Melodie Lynn Leinaʻala Naluaʻi Vega
  • Princess Charlene Kapualani Kauhane Harano

Leilani Kūpahu-Marino Kahoʻāno hails from Waimānalo and is pursuing an advanced nursing degree from UH Mānoa with decades of prior nursing experience. She is particularly enthusiastic about incorporating hula and cultural practices into medical care at every stage of life. Leilani has been instrumental in launching several medical foundations (including Caring for Hawai‘i Neonates) while serving as a cultural advisor for others. This drive to combine her professional and personal passions is evident in her decades of lei-making and hula experience. Along with caring for her mother, she enjoys spending time with her husband Kimo, their five children, and five grandkids. Leilani also passes her time by volunteering, playing golf, and enjoying music.

Melodie Lynn Leinaʻala Naluaʻi Vega is a Kailua resident who has utilized her studies in Childcare and Education throughout her career, notably working as a traveling preschool teacher with Kamehameha Schools and as the Chief Early Education Officer at the Keiki O Ka ‘Āina Family Learning Centers.  A haumana hula from a young age, Melodie enjoys making lei from napua grown in her garden, along with spending time in the ocean, traveling, reading, writing, and enjoying music (coming from a musically inclined family). This year she and her husband Robert celebrate their 45th anniversary, they were high school sweethearts. They are proud parents of two with one granddaughter.

Charlene Kapualani Kauhane Harano is a Kāne‘ohe resident and McKinley High grad who now serves with the Honolulu Police Department’s Human Service Unit.  She has danced hula since she was 11-years-old, dancing professionally in the Kodak Hula Show (including performances in Japan). She has fond memories of performing during the Lei Day Celebration at Kapi‘olani Park throughout her life, and admires the creative beauty and skill needed to make lei for any occasion.  Along with baking, she enjoys spending time with her husband Roy, their three daughters, and four grandkids.

The court was determined during the selection event March 4, 2023 at Kapolei Hale; a beautiful celebration of Native Hawaiian culture, hula, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and of course lei-making. Mahalo to all of the fantastic participants and the jubilant spectators who attended the selection event, including the preceding Lei Court members: Natalie Brown Ah Quin, Kalehua Tolentino, and Kēhau Holi-Robb

Queen Leilani and her court will preside over the 95th Annual Lei Day Celebration festivities, and will be the City’s Ambassadors of Aloha at a variety of public events.

The 95th Annual Lei Day Celebration will be held on Monday, May 1, 2023, at Kapi‘olani Park, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Along with Hawaiian entertainment, demonstrations, and exhibits, the celebration event will feature a lei contest exhibit showcasing some of the most exquisitely crafted lei in a variety of colors and methods.

The first Lei Day 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 Honolulu Mayor Charles Arnold in 1928. 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 in 2021, and the Nā Lei Koa in 2020 to honor our first responders.

For more information about the Lei Court Selection, Lei Day Celebration, and an awesome historical write-up of the history of Lei Day in Hawai‘i visit bit.ly/HonoluluLeiDay

Funding provided by Hula Grill Waikīkī, Handcrafters and Artisans Alliance, and Friends of Honolulu Parks and Recreation.

 and e skill andrtistry of Hawaii’s lei ma

This event is made possible by these generous sponsors and event partners:

  • ‘Iolani, Inc.
  • Hawai‘i Tourism Authority
  • Hula Grill Waikīkī
  • Handcrafters & Artisans Alliance 
  • Friends of Honolulu Parks & Recreation

Mahalo a nui loa no kau manawale‘a! Thank you very much for your generosity!


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