May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi
While the rest of the world celebrates May Day or Workers Day, the people of Hawaiʻi — including our four Honolulu-based teammates — will celebrate Lei Day. In our islands, every year on May 1, it’s customary to give and wear beautiful lei.
Some people wear lei made with flowers from their yard, while others may visit a lei stand or grocery store to buy something special. Wherever you find your lei, the result is the same: the creation and sharing of beautiful examples of aloha.
Of course, there’s important etiquette from our host culture to the sharing of lei. Accepting lei is like accepting a friendly embrace, as well as the spirit and heart of the giver. And it’s okay to re-gift a lei since you’re passing on your spirt as well as the heart of those who crafted the lei.
Many people have commented that our Way to Win events feel different and special, with equal parts rigor and heart. While we work very hard to produce the very best strategy and content, I’d like to think that the heart of our work comes naturally, especially to our Hawaiʻi-based events team. As organisers, we love people and hate injustice. As islanders, we know that our heart and contributions must be shared.
The first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Daniel Kahikina Akaka, was a revered figure for his years of service to the community. In 2012, he said: “If at any time in your life you are given aloha, appreciate it, live it, and pass it on because that’s the nature of aloha and that is the spirit of aloha: it means nothing unless you share it.”
On this Lei Day, we aren’t able to share a lei with you. But across the distance, you have our heart and our love. We can’t wait until we’re together again and hope to see you on an upcoming webinar or virtual event soon. Have a happy Lei Day and a hearty start to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
“If at any time in your life you are given aloha, appreciate it, live it, and pass it on because that’s the nature of aloha and that is the spirit of aloha: it means nothing unless you share it.”
