Lei Day contests; many entertainers also make appearances for the Lei Day celebration in Honolulu. On Hawaii Island, the"Big Island" of Hawaii, the annual Hilo Lei Day Festival features live music, Hula dancing, and crafty demonstrations. Also, “special guests” make appearances at numerous festivities; many of the "special guests" are "guest speakers" that speak to audiences about the customs and traditions that are centered on the Hawaiian lei. There are, also, many festivities that are centered on Hawaiian culture, such as many various cultural dances, food, and shopping. Many festivals, also, feature numerous types of entertainers: local Hawaiian musical groups and local
Lei (garland) other and their gods. The religion of the Native Hawaiians as well as the hula custom is tied into the leis that they wore. Native Hawaiians, who are Polynesian, brought the tradition of lei making and wearing with them to the Hawaiian islands when they arrived. On the first of every May, an event called Lei Day is celebrated to honor the act of lei making and the custom surrounding it. There are many customs and protocols associated with the giving, receiving, wearing, storing, and disposing of lei. A story that originated during World War II tells of a hula