Celebrated primarily in Hawaii on the 1st of May, Lei Day honours the act of making the flower garland and the customs that are associated with it.
Lei Day was created by Don Blanding, a poet who became fascinated with Hawaii and moved there at the age of 21. In 1927, when he was employed by the Honolulu Star Bulletin, Blanding conceived the idea of a special day for Hawaii and shared it with columnist Grace Warren. Grace came up with the phrase, “May Day is Lei Day” which probably inspired the Hawaiian song “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii” by Ruth and Leonard Hawk.
