Lei Day and Merrie Monarch Festival celebrate culture and community

Today is Lei Day in Hawaii, one of many celebrations rooted in our state’s rich culture and diverse communities.

Lei Day is about sharing aloha and honoring the relationships that connect us. It began in 1928 with a lei-making competition and grew into a statewide celebration of the tradition of making, wearing and giving lei. Events include lei contests, hula, music, Royal Court festivities, parades, and school performances.

In elementary school, I remember the excitement of preparing for May Day and performing for ohana. In the weeks leading up to the big day, we studied Hawaiian history, learned Olelo Hawaii, made arts and crafts, sewed lei, played traditional games, and practiced hula and mele. Those early experiences taught me that these traditions are more than events on a calendar; they are ways we pass on language, values, and aloha from one generation to the next.

I now live in Hilo, home of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival. The first festival was held in 1963 and organized by the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce. It was created to preserve, promote, and perpetuate hula and Hawaiian culture. The weeklong festival welcomes thousands for hula performances and competitions, cultural demonstrations, arts fairs, workshops, exhibits, and a parade.

The 63rd Annual Royal Parade was held Saturday, April 11, in downtown Hilo.

Hawaiian Electric was honored to walk alongside almost 90 groups, including halau, pau units, pageant winners, marching bands, taiko groups, businesses and organizations, schools, and emergency responders.

Our employees gathered to make lei and decorate a bucket truck with tropical flowers and greenery gathered or donated by employees, Green Point Nurseries and Floral Resources Hawaii.

Seeing familiar faces from kupuna to keiki waving, cheering, and simply enjoying the parade was a heartfelt reminder that traditions live through the people who show up, share aloha, and carry them forward. The experience also was a beautiful display of how Hawaiian Electric employees have been woven into the fabric of our communities for more than 130 years.

The Merrie Monarch Festival and Lei Day honor the artistry, values, and practices that continue to perpetuate Hawaiian culture, and create moments where aloha can be seen and felt in everyday ways. When we take time to remember and celebrate, we strengthen what connects us and help ensure these practices continue for generations to come.