Lei Day orange, Kahoolawe is gray, Kauai is purple, and Niihau is white. In the same order the flowers are lehua, lokelani, 'ilima, kukui, kauna'oa, hinahina, mokihana, and a pupu shell. Niihau is the only island without a plant as its symbol. Lei Day in Hawaii incorporates various ethnic traditions, other than their own. Throughout the history of the holiday, natives have struggled between preserving Hawaiian culture and integrating foreign traditions on the special day. This has brought tension to the day of celebration, but over the years has meshed into part of the festivities. Although many different ethnic groups such as
Lei (garland) of lei can be left in a window to dry, allowing the natural fragrance to fill the room. This technique is often used in cars as well. In Polynesian cultures, a lei is something that is created by someone and given to another with the intent to decorate that person for an emotional reason—usually as a sign of affection. Common reasons include greeting, farewell, affection or love, friendship, appreciation, congratulation, recognition, or to otherwise draw attention to the recipient. In Samoa, similar garlands fashioned of entire flowers, buds, seeds, nuts, plant fibers, leaves, ferns, seashells, or flower petals are called