“May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, garlands of flowers everywhere.
All of the colors in the rainbow, maidens with blossoms in their hair.
Flowers that mean we should be happy, throwing aside a load of care.
Oh, May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, Lei Day is happy days out here.”
Brilliant magenta and pink magnolias, perky yellow daffodils and the plum tree in our back yard has burst into white blossoms filling my heart with joy!!! May is always an exciting time when flowers start appearing again in the Oak Park neighborhood as it means spring is here after our winter snows! Happy May Day, Everyone!
I have fond memories of May Day growing up in Hawaii. It is when Hawaii celebrates flowers with Hula. Every year at Paauilo Elementary and Intermediate School, all the classes would spend months preparing a dance for our May Day celebration. The public was invited and many parents attended to see their children perform. Everyone wore leis, colorful aloha shirts, and dresses. Moms and aunties wore billowy muumuus with bright flowery patterns.
Most of the classes danced a hula, but in Mrs. Nishiyama’s 3rd grade, there was always a maypole dance. Multi-colored ribbons were strung from the top of a pole. Each student held a ribbon. When the music started, boys went one way and girls went the other taking turns lifting their ribbon for a student to go under and then over.
The ribbons fluttered in the gentle breezes. We’d weave the pole down to about half way and then turn around and unweave it. We had to practice many times to get it right. When we did, I loved seeing how dancing together, we created a gorgeous multi-colored woven pole and then unwove it returning to long fluttering ribbons.
There was also great pageantry. We had a May Day court with two ninth graders chosen to be king and queen, representing the royalty that once ruled the islands before annexation. The king wore a beautiful red cape, the queen wore a white dress with Victorian collar and sleeves. She always danced a beautiful, dignified hula.
Students represented princesses of the eight major islands wearing their official colors and flowers.
Hawaii Island - red and lehua
Maui - pink and lokelani
Molokai - green and kukui nut flower
Oahu - yellow and ilima
Kaho’olawe - gray and hinahina
Lanai - orange and kaunaoa
Kauai - purple and mokihana
Ni’ihau - white and pupu shell
We’d cheer everyone and then we’d rise and solemnly sing Hawaii Pono’i, the national anthem of Hawaii composed by King David Kalakaua in 1876 honoring King Kamehameha I who brought all the islands together as one in 1810.
There was a lei and flower arrangement contest set up on tables in the library. I’d marvel at the gorgeous varieties of lei and flowers displayed.
Flowers remind us of the impermanence of life - beautiful just for a few days and then they are gone - year in and year out. What generosity they bestow when they bloom - the generosity of the universe. I am deeply grateful.
Come join us for our first ‘May Day Is Lei Day Celebration’ with hula, fragrant leis, and potluck for those who come in person! May 1st, 3 - 4:30 pm CST. It will be hybrid - so all long distance friends and family can join the fun too! $10 donation benefits the Halau.
Malama pono (take good care of body, mind and spirit),
June Kaililani Ryushin Tanoue
Kumu Hula, Sensei