what is may day hawaii

In Hawaiʻi, “May Day” is celebrated as Lei Day on May 1st, a statewide holiday honoring the Hawaiian lei, local flowers, and the spirit of aloha.

What is May Day in Hawaiʻi?

• It’s a cultural celebration on May 1st called Lei Day , not a labor holiday like in many other places.

• The day honors the making, giving, and wearing of lei as symbols of love, friendship, and respect.

• Schools, parks, and communities hold pageants, hula performances, and lei contests across the islands.

How it started

• In the late 1920s, writer Don Blanding and Grace Tower Warren proposed a special day to celebrate lei traditions they feared were fading.

• The first official Lei Day was held on May 1, 1928, in the Bank of Hawaiʻi lobby, with a lei competition and a royal-style court.

• Soon after, the territorial governor proclaimed “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi,” cementing it as a local tradition.

What happens on Lei Day?

• Lei contests: People submit handmade lei to be judged on beauty, craftsmanship, and traditional island colors and flowers.

• Royal court & pageants: Many schools and community events feature a Lei Day king, queen, and island princes/princesses dressed in the colors and flowers of each island.

• Hula and music: Hula hālau (schools) perform, and musicians play Hawaiian songs celebrating lei and aloha.

• Lei giving: Friends, family, coworkers, and even visitors exchange lei as gestures of goodwill and celebration.

Why it matters today

• Lei Day reinforces Hawaiian identity and the idea that relationships and aloha are central to life in the islands.

• It keeps traditional practices—like knowing island flowers, colors, and lei styles—alive for younger generations, especially through school May Day programs.

• While some note that old-style school May Day programs are less common than before, community and city events continue to keep the celebration vibrant.

TL;DR: May Day in Hawaiʻi is Lei Day—May 1st is devoted to making, wearing, and gifting lei, with pageants, hula, and community events that celebrate Hawaiian culture and the spirit of aloha.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.