Beautiful Winning Lei From the Lei Day Celebration Contest 2024

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Any day where lei is involved is a good day in our books. But none celebrate the beloved symbol of aloha with more gusto than May 1, a.k.a. May Day or Lei Day as we know it in Hawai‘i.

And by far, the biggest celebration is the annual Lei Day Celebration, hosted at the Kapi‘olani Park bandstand by the Department of Parks and Recreation. We stopped by to check out the festival’s popular lei contest, which usually draws a massive number of entries (sometimes up to 200!) that are displayed for the public to enjoy.

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All lei must be made using a Hawaiian method: haku, hili, humupapa, kui, kīpu‘u or wili. And the lei contest is broken down into a handful of categories, with first-, second- and third-place winners for each.

• Lei‘ā‘ī (uliuli/poni) – neck lei (blue/purple)
• Lei‘ā‘ī (‘ula‘ula /‘ākala) – neck lei (red/pink)
• Lei‘ā‘ī (melemele/‘alani) – neck lei (yellow/orange)
• Lei‘ā‘ī (palaunu/‘ōma‘oma‘o) – neck lei (brown/green)
• Lei‘ā‘ī (ke‘oke‘o/hinahina) – neck lei (white/gray)
• Lei‘ā‘ī – neck lei (mixed)
• Lei Po‘omana‘o – themed lei
• Lei Lanakila Mua –  beginner lei
• Lei Pāpale – hat lei
• Lei Lipine – yarn, ribbon, fabric lei
• Lei ‘Ōpio – youth lei, age 5 and younger
• Lei ‘Ōpio – youth lei, age 6 to 8
• Lei ‘Ōpio – youth lei, age 9 to 12
• Lei ‘Ōpio – youth lei, age 13 to 17

Winner of the 2024 Mayor’s Grand Prize. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Ultimate recognition comes in the form of the Mayor’s Grand Prize, for which there is a single winner. The 2024 winning lei (above) is an intricate lei wili poepoe made of kī, kukui, maile and palapalai by Melvin Moki Tracy Labra. Post-competition, all the winning lei are taken to the Royal Mausoleum on May 2 and draped on the graves and tombs of Hawai‘i’s ali‘i.

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