after attending my sister’s college graduation on the mainland, i noticed that quite a few people were given/wearing “leis” or flowers strung together and worn like a necklace. it is a tradition here in hawaii to give and wear a lei during graduation or other occasions like award ceremonies, etc. in fact, it is not uncommon to see a graduate with leis literally up to his ears! where do these leis come from? most of them are from chinatown made by skilled lei makers in mom and pop shops. as you walk around chinatown, you’ll see many lei shops making intricate “haku” (a crown of flowers) or other variations of such. it is actually fun and very educating watching them make the leis, individually stringing each flower together. they are true works of art using the flowers from the island. if possible, you should definitely purchase a lei (they can be kept fresh in a refrigerator for a couple of days), and bring it back home! or, you can purchase a ribbon lei that will never die! the one dollar leis are also a tacky alternative.