HONOLULU (KHON2) — For Memorial Day, the City continues to honor a solemn promise to adorn every grave at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific with fresh lei.
As WakeUp2Day’s Chris Latronic learned from Kilauea District Park, the public is encouraged to stop by and sew a lei or two to participate in the annual tradition.
Officials said the tradition is a “uniquely Hawaiian display of gratitude,” as a way of saying mahalo to veterans for their service.
The City aims to make and gather 38,000 lei for every service member laid to rest at the ceremony.
Along with this significant task, the City is hoping to assist the Hawai‘i State Veterans Cemetery in Kāne‘ohe with their Memorial Day ceremony by donating extra lei to help them adorn the graves of the 15,000 servicemembers laid to rest on those hallowed grounds.
In hopes of reaching these goals, the public can contribute the following:
- Lei made of fresh flowers or ti leaf
- Measures 20 to 22 inches untied
- Please tie
- Lei flowers
- Preferably plumeria or crown flower
- Anthurium bouquets
- Attend a lei-making session
“If you have a graduating senior who has their ceremony and has an extra lei, any of those fresh lei would be greatly appreciated,” said Nate Serota, Department of Parks and Recreation spokesperson.
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To find a lei-making station near you or for more information, click HERE.