Lei (garland) spam musubi are tied into garlands. "Non-traditional" materials such as cloth ribbon, sequins, cellophane wrap, curling ribbon, and yarn are often used to fashion leis in various forms today. Among residents of Hawaii, the most popular occasions at which nā lei can be found are birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, retirement parties, and bridal showers. It is not uncommon for a high school or college graduate to be seen wearing so many nā lei that they reach his or her ears or higher. On May 1 each year, Hawaiians celebrate "Lei Day", first conceived in 1927 by poet Don Blanding. At
Cuscuta sandwichiana a twining vine with thin, leafless yellow to yellow-orange stems and very small yellowish flowers which grow in small clusters along the stems. Lei (garland): "Kaunaʻoa kahakai" was used for both "lei o ka poʻo" (head lei) and l"ei āʻī" (neck lei) Medicinal: Plants of both "kaunaʻoa kahakai" and "kaunaʻoa pehu" were pounded until soft, strained, and juice drunk to thin blood for women who had given birth or who had thick blood. Cuscuta sandwichiana Cuscuta sandwichiana ("Kauna'oa kahakai") is a parasitic vine and the only member of the genus Cuscuta that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It parasitizes