Hawaiian Leis
Aloha is Hawaiian for welcome and love. The lei is a symbol of Aloha - a symbol of love and respect. The lei (or plural leis) is a symbol of Aloha in Hawaiian culture. In Hawaii, both men and women wear flower leis or necklaces made of flowers,. They leis provide a sense of enjoyment and pride. For tourists, the lei has become a tradition of visiting the Hawaiian Islands .Holiday makers are usually welcomed with a lei and the word Aloha. Aloha is Hawaiian for welcome and love. Your family and friends might enjoy this custom, so give them a lei and say Aloha.

At Hawaiian weddings, flower garlands known as leis are traditionally placed around the necks of the bride and groom. Traditionally, Leis are created from some of the island's most beautiful and fragrant flowers. Each lei is made up of some 40 or 50 fresh flowers, and tied with a colourful ribbon. These flower garlands are very symbolic of Hawaiian culture and an integral part of every celebration on the island.

The lei is the Hawaiian symbol of love. During the ceremony the kahuna pule (religious man) binds the hands of the bride and groom with leis as a symbol of the couple's commitment to each other. The groom would wear the fragrant maile lei entwined with pikake (white jasmine) and ilima

The Hawaiian parties - sometimes called Luaus, actually began as banquets to honour chiefs and foreign dignitaries, they're fun parties to share with friends anytime.

Click here to view our hawaiian leis & hawaiian fancy dress costumes
Hula Skirts - Hawaiian Hula Costumes - Hula Dancing Hawaiian Fancy Dress Costumes Hula Dancing Hula dancing - hulas skirts - hawaiian hula skirts - these all share their roots with other Polynesian islands.The original Hawaiians chanted poetry called "meles"; when accompanied by music and dance the combined performance was called a "hula". Dancers were trained at special sacred schools and the performances were surrounded by many "kapus".The hula was largely suppressed by the first missionaries but came back in favour at the end of the nineteenth century Due to their location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, from the 19th century, the islands of Hawaii subsequently absorbed many influences from foreign cultures. These new influences, were themselves adapted and turned into new Hawaiian traditions. The traditional Hawaiian luau always has hula dancing. The hula dancers include mothers, aunts, nieces and granddaughters. It's always fun for everyone to join the dancing. Sway your hips to the sultry sounds of the South Pacific and hear the rustle of your skirt. Let the waves lap at your toes as you place leis of flowers around your loved ones' necks. Get into the tropical Hawaiian theme with our Hawaiian grass skirts, leis and gar lards, hawaiian hula skirts         Limbo Contest Even though it's more of a tourist activity, the limbo contest is fun. Try a limbo bar and having your guests try to get low and walk beneath the stick. It's great fun - and adds extra to your hawaiian party.The Hawaiians are a wonderful blend of Americans and Polynesians and have a great sense of fun. To get that extra tropical feel - why not use blow up or inflatable props - hawaiian trees, hawaiian parrots, banana ns or brightly coloured tropical fish Click here to view hawaiian inflatable props   Hawaiian Wedding Song The 'Hawaiian Wedding Song', which was of course sung by Elvis in the movie Blue Hawaii is almost always a part of the wedding service. The couple's names in the Hawaiian language may be engraved onto their wedding rings. Both the bride and groom will dress in white, and the groom will have a red sash tied around his waist Hawaiian Music In the 1830s, cowboys from Mexico and South America, brought the guitar to the islands, which the Hawaiians adapted by slackening the strings, creating their own slack key guitar tradition. In 1879, Portuguese immigrants introduced the braguinha, which the Hawaiians developed into the ukulele. These traditions have been preserved by the passing of them from one generation to another, often a style of tradition developing within a family. Hawaiian musicians and songwriters have for many years been considered leaders of the Hawaiian people. In the latter third of the 19th century, the Royal Family, such as King David Kalakaua, and Queen Lili'oukalani were also champions of Hawaiian music, composing songs and bringing Hawaiian music into a modern era. The steel guitar is believed (although there are conflicting reports) to have been created at the end of 1880s by Joseph Kekuku, whose curiosity was initially tweaked when he dropped an object onto his guitar. He discovered the sliding sound by sliding a metal comb along the strings, which he later improved by using a heavy metal bar. The steel guitar soon caught on, and by the beginning of the 20th century steel guitar players were playing music influenced by ragtime. The guitar was introduced to the Islands by Spanish and Mexican immigrants and the ukelele was developed from an instrument played by Portuguese workers.The other characteristic instrument of modern Hawaiian music is the steel guitar whose distinctive sound is produced by slack key tuning and by sliding a metal bar across the guitar frets. There is an annual slack-key guitar festival Honolulu on Oahu. Religions In traditional Hawaiian religion public worship took place in a heiau, which consisted of an altar, images and a raised platform. Sometimes this would be surrounded by a stone wall enclosing houses for a drum and other sacred objects. The distinct religious status of the tribal chiefs was depicted through sacred symbols such as the red-feather girdle and the tapa-covered balls on sticks that were carried before the chiefs to demonstrate their unique relationship with the gods. These indigenous Hawaiian styles have been lost as a consequence of the incursion of European and other cultures. Today the visible symbols of religion are more varied in the Hawaiian islands than in the rest of Polynesia because of settlements from so many places. Religious buildings may take many forms - Christian churches of mainland American pattern with tall spires, or more recently incorporating oriental design where they serve largely Chinese, Japanese or Korean congregations; Buddhist temples, Chines or Japanese, display very different architecture which can be in traditional Chinese or Japanese style, follow Indian-inspired structures, or amalgamations of eastern and western designs. Chinese clan temples and Japanese Shinto shrines add their distinctive forms also.