lei

The word lei is universally understood in Hawaii and refers to the traditional garland given for greetings, farewells, graduations, birthdays, and anniversaries. While visitors often associate it strictly with orchids given at the airport, locals make and exchange leis using a vast variety of materials, including pikake, maile, puakenikeni, ti leaf, and even modern variations like candy, money, or yarn. It is considered disrespectful to refuse a lei or to take it off in the presence of the person who gave it to you. Additionally, pregnant women are traditionally given open-ended leis rather than closed circles, due to cultural beliefs surrounding the umbilical cord.

The garage floor in Makawao was covered in stripped tuberose stems, crushed purple orchids, and spilled water from the buckets. It was past midnight the night before King Kekaulike's graduation, and Aunty Flor's fingers were stained brown from the sap. She leaned back in her folding chair, rubbing her lower back while her lolo cousin, Boy, tried to sweep up the mess with a broom that was missing half its bristles.

"Eh, Boy, you going step on the maile," Flor warned, too exhausted to actually yell. She pointed to the last pristine green vine draped over the folding table. "If you ruin that lei, I going make you wear the rubbish bag tomorrow."

Boy laughed, leaning heavily on the broom handle. "Aunty, my eyes so blurry I cannot even see the needle no more. I swear, next year we just buying the candy ones from Longs." Flor chuckled, tossing a bruised orchid at his head. "You give your mother one candy lei, she going slap you with um. Now shut up and help me tie this off."