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Social Issues in France

Hawaii Lei Day

Metamorphosis Art

Extinct Cultures

Carbon Uptake

Integration of Cultures
Lei Day in Hawaii incorporates various ethnic traditions, other than their own. Throughout the history of the holiday, natives have struggled between preserving Hawaiian culture and integrating foreign traditions on the special day. This has brought tension to the day of celebration, but over the years has meshed into part of the festivities.

Although many different ethnic groups such as the Scottish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean and Filipino, have settled on the Hawaiian Islands, the dominant integration is of American and European cultures. The music and dance performed during the May 1st celebration is described as hapa haole, or part Caucasian. Songs like Little Grass Shack and moves that fuse in Euro-American styles are a quite common. In elementary school performances, a typical program will have the kids sing the Star Spangled Banner, while dressed up in military uniforms. Other performances may include something like a choreographed dances using a European maypole with streamers, having a Hawaiian theme or symbol behind it. Similar to an American high school homecoming or prom court, Hawaiian high schools announce the king, queen and their royal entourage for the day. During the Second Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1970s, the assimilated American-Hawaiian style was frowned upon, but today it is often accepted as a part of the island’s history. On the other hand, some have seen the assimilation as a loss of cultural identity and life for the Hawaiians. Believing that the younger generations will completely lose their ethnic values.

Lei Day, being traditionally diverse, attracts people from all around, to experience the day. Many natives claim that everyone wants to have and be a part of Hawaii. This day invokes the Hawaiian pride and lifestyle in those that have settled there, as well as those that come to visit. Lei Day has become a source of revenue, as it attracts many tourists who are interested in the traditional hula dances and lei ceremonies. Some have even described Lei Day as a tool to lure in people and get them hooked on the cultural life, leading them to permanently live in Hawaii and mesh themselves into the lifestyle.

Symbolism of the Lei
The importance of the lei to the Hawaiian culture is that it is meant to represent the unspoken expression of aloha. The meaning of aloha can be interpreted in various ways, depending on the occasion it can stand for farewell, greeting, love, hope, or joy. These are only a few meaning, as there are no restrictions to the symbolic meaning they hold. The idea is that although the lei lasts only a while, the thought lasts forever. This tradition is spread throughout the major islands on Lei Day. Each island has their own way of celebrating the holiday, as well as a different native vegetation that makes up the lei. Along with different techniques of assembling them.

Other than the use of leis on Lei Day, they are incorporated in special occasions such as graduations, weddings and birthdays. The traditions was brought over by Polynesian voyagers sailing from Tahiti. In the past, maile leis, known as one of the most sacred leis, was used in peace agreements between opposing peoples. In addition to wear the lei as a source of beautification, the lei was a way to distinguish groups of people from one another. The lei comes with a set of unspoken rules such as wearing it over your shoulders, not removing it around the person that gave you the lei, and refusing a lei is seen as disrespectful. Over the years the lei has grown to become an accepted symbol of Hawaii that greets many visitors each year.