Salience of the Haku

28 September 2015 Salience of The Haku Someone who hadn’t seen an lei that has been in Hawaii , must be living under a rock. Leis are seen almost out of every eye’s corner in Hawaii.Just like to our culture, leis are very important to myself. There are a variety of leis, but the most important one to me is the haku.

The heavenly aroma of fresh, gorgeous flowers fill the room. The gentle touch of the pedals take my mind away. The white ribbon that is tying the flowers together sparkles through the air. Within the interior of the band, it is wrapped and tied with a beige band. The pink, red, and white flowers balance out the object. The pink roses stand out between the white pedals and green leaves.

Popping out of each big flower are a numerous amount of tiny white bud flowers. These colors are all incorporated into one beautiful masterpiece. The feeling of placing my haku on my head soothes and calms me. All of my worries and meanness goes away. Wearing my haku makes me feel my true self.Over the pasts months since I’ve received my haku, the texture of the flowers have changed.

The pedals are not as silky as they were before. Now, they are crispy and have lost it’s shape. Luckily, the flowers do not look exactly dead and flopped over. Crispy flowers or not, I will always see elegance and beauty in the lei. When I place my haku on my head, I gently hold it.

In Hawaii , there are a variety of leis. A haku is a hand woven wealth. Hakus are made when one braids three plants together with one base. This type of lei is placed around one’s head. Leis making started from the ancient Polynesians.

The Lei symbolizes welcoming , loving. The lei is a custom of the “Aloha Spirit.” Leis are also a symbol of Hawaii. Leis are received at a variety of occasions .These occasions are :weddings, birthdays, competitions (especially hula), anniversaries, recognitions, and etc. Depending on what the occasion is, different flower colors and styles are incorporated.

All leis should be taken care with respect. Meaning, one should never toss or break any leis. In the Hawaiian culture, if one hurts the lei, one hurts the person who they received the lei from. It is scared tradition that one must never refuse a lei given to them. Another sacred belief is to not wear a lei if you are pregnant, or else the umbilical cord will be tangled.

Leis can be made with many abundant from the islands such as: nuts, shells, seeds, flowers, and feathers. The most common lei happens to be the Maile lei, which is made by the sacred Maile veins and leaves. Back in the 1800s, ancient Hawaiians greeted voyagers to the islands with the lei. Today, this tradition still lives on as we welcome those arriving at the airport. My haku is important to me for many reasons.

I had received it at my Confirmation ceremony. My confirmation ceremony was a milestone in my life because I was welcomed into the Catholic church as an adult. Confirmation is a two year course for Catholics that attend Sunday school and church activities every week. My hard work had finally paid off. Receiving my haku made me proud of my accomplishments and my faith.

Our confirmation teacher, Aunty Kathy, was who I received my haku from. Aunty Kathy will always resemble my haku. Her kindness and loving characteristics will always treasure my heart. My haku is very important to me because it was given to me at my school/ church parish that I grew up in. I started my catholic sacraments and my education at St.

Anthony’s School in Kailua. This is also where our confirmation classes were and where the ceremony took place. My haku will always symbolize my home, St. Anthony’s church and school. Without their loving community, I wouldn’t be the same person who I am today. The three colors of flowers on my haku will always represent my three best friends that completed Confirmation with me.

My three best friends and I all went to school at St. Anthony’s and grew up together. To be able to all graduate and become adults into the church makes me very proud. My haku is truly a symbolism of my life accomplishments, values, and faith. Everyone happens to have an important object, one that holds an important background. Mine happens to be my haku, which I received at my confirmation ceremony.

The haku is one of the many types of leis and has been around since the ancient Polynesians.