Guest Student Blogger – SULIASI

Lei: Comes in different varieties, using various flowers.

Hi, my name is Suliasi and I am a Fish! philosopher in Mrs. Ah Hee’s 5th grade class. A recent post on our blog about IT visitors sparked a comment. The picture may not be clear, but it is not tinsel, it is a flower lei. You may ask “what is a flower lei…”Well it’s…

A flower lei  is a garland(wreath of leaves or flowers) that is usually worn on the head or around the neck. It was commonly worn to show royalty and importance. The proper way to wear lei is wearing it draped over your shoulder, the lei hanging down from your torso and back. Long ago, people would line up to greet malihini (visitors) with lei. Today, people can pay for people to greet them at the airport with flowers. Lei represents peace. Two rivaling chiefs would tie a green maile vine as a symbol of peace. Some lei made of carnation introduced by missionaries

Purple and white orchid lei

would mean things, for example, a dark red lei for love. A rule for lei wearing is never to refuse a lei, and to never take off the lei in the presence of the person who you received it. These are just some customs of the lei. Did you know that lei is not said lei’s as a plural? The plural for lei, is lei!  Did you also know that in Hawaii at graduation, people tend to have lei up to their neck. This is just some information on the fascination of Lei.

Guest blogging is a new thing I we are trying, I wish to do more guest blog posts.

Elvis wearing a lei 🙂

How we tie lei. Wrap around big toe 🙂

Close up of weaved ti leaf lei