Lei (garland) the time, Blanding was employed by the "Honolulu Star Bulletin", and he shared his idea with columnist Grace Tower Warren, who came up with the phrase, "May Day is Lei Day". The Hawaiian song, "May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii" was composed in 1927 by Ruth and Leonard "Red" Hawk. At the 81st Annual Mayor's Lei Day Celebration at Kapiolani Park in 2008, Honolulu set the record for the World's Longest Lei. Unofficially, the lei measured 5,336 feet in length, more than a mile. All of the major islands celebrate Lei Day, and each island is symbolized in pageantry
Lei Day includes the sharing of lei crafting techniques by Islanders. Also, there are many lectures given by Islanders about the symbolism and cultural meaning of the Hawaiian lei. For example, Islanders demonstrate that a lei that is received in a certain manner translates into a particular meaning: a greeting, a fare-well, a marriage, a celebration, etc. The color of the lei, also, represents certain translations; different leis should be worn for different occasions. There are also lectures about the history of Hawaiian Lei Day and of the lei. Honolulu, also, holds a Hawaiian Lei Day Queen pageant and many lei crafting