Lifestyles
Hawaii’s Age Old Gift: The Lei
Hawaii is a group of several islets and eight major Islands. It has a beautiful range of flowers that grow every year in Hawaii. The residents of Hawaii are called Hawaiians, and long ago when the very first settlers came to Hawaii, they created leis to show their beauty. A lei is a flower garland worn by Hawaiians and those they welcome to the Islands. They are given on many different occasions, such as a guest arriving to the Islands, or returning to the Islands, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, parties, and other special or dramatic events.
Leis can dazzle your senses, by the way they can intensify the moods at weddings. They are used as decorations along chairs, walls, trees, in chairs, down the “isle”, on the wedding cake, and even around the bride and grooms necks. It is a Hawaiian custom to give leis out at weddings, to the bride and groom. Leis are given as a symbol of love and friendship, and in the past were offered to the gods.
If you decide to visit Hawaii, more than likely you will be greeted by many Welcomers with leis. When a person gives a lei to another, it is a sign of affection from one person to another; therefore you never reject a lei that is given to you. It is also very rude to the Hawaiian custom, if a person takes off a lei in front of the one that gave it to them. The proper way to wear a lei, is around the neck, laying equally in the front and back.
The lei is so appealing to the eye that people from all over the world, purchase them online for their own at home celebrations. They are easy to find and very delicately made. Leis get shipped all around the world, some ship them to their families that live out of Hawaii, others just order them to wear for a costume. Leis are a great way to make a statement, if you are not in Hawaii, they will definitely make you stand out from the crowd.
An old rumor says that sailors use to toss out their leis, while departing the Islands, and if those waiting for them on shore, saw the lei return to the beach, the sailor would one day return to the islands. There are many wonderful things about the lei, with all the beautiful flowers that Hawaii offers, it is hard not to be entranced by a lei’s beauty.
