Annual May Day Tradition with Myrtle Wong

Over 25 of us gathered at the clubhouse for our 2nd Annual May Day Lei making event with Myrtle Wong. Because May Day fell on a Wednesday this year we met on April 30th, a Tuesday afternoon so the leis would still be fresh for May Day.

Not only has Myrtle been making leis for years, but she is an inspiring teacher!  Myrtle and one of her friends Ruth Ikeda brought raffia, banana tree bark, extra flowers and greenery along with 2″ x 4″ boards with nails in them. The participants brought their own flowers and greenery; either gathered or purchased.

According to Myrtle, each lei needs a Filler, a Thriller and a Spiller (you can think of the thriller as the star of the show). The first step is to plan your design and select your materials. Next Myrtle demonstrated the wili technique of wrapping the raffia around the lei materials in a creative pattern. It takes time and determination to make a lei in wili style, but lucky for us Myrtle’s encouraging words and occasional advice kept us going. In the end everyone’s leis were creative and the experience was memorable.

HTMC is grateful that Myrtle and Ruth continue to share this special tradition with us at the clubhouse.  This year we gave Myrtle a photo of a cactus to add to her succulent collection. The photos below were all taken by Myrtle at the event. It you didn’t make it this year, we hope you will join us next year for this wonderful tradition!