Sat, May 02
|ʻIao Valley State Park
Lei ʻiwi kukui workshop | Hālau Nā Mamo Aliʻi ʻO Mokuʻula
Celebrate Lei Day by learning to create a traditional lei iwi kukui and explore its cultural significance.
Time & Location
May 02, 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM HST
ʻIao Valley State Park, Iao Valley, Hawaii 96793, USA
About the event
In celebration of Lei Day in Hawaiʻi, this workshop invites students to learn the cultural significance and traditional practices of creating a lei iwi kukui. Guided by ʻike kūpuna, students will explore the kuleana of honoring our ancestors through this sacred lei-making practice and the values of respect, intention, and care that accompany it.
Central to this workshop is the symbolism of the kukui, the “light tree,” which represents enlightenment, guidance, protection, and healing. Traditionally used for illumination, kukui embodies the knowledge passed down from our kūpuna and reminds us of our responsibility to carry that wisdom forward in pono ways. Within the lei, kukui serves as a spiritual guide—illuminating the presence of our ancestors while strengthening the connection between past, present, and future generations.
Through this Lei Day observance, students deepen their cultural identity and understanding of ceremony, honoring both the beauty of lei-making and the enduring legacy of ʻike kūpuna within Hālau Nā Mamo Aliʻi ʻO Mokuʻula.