May 1 means different things in different parts of the world, but here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it means Lei Day, a statewide celebration of Hawaiian culture and the spirit of "aloha," that intangible sense of warmth, belonging, and connection that emanates from this isolated chain of volcanic islands. Lei Day was first celebrated in 1927 and made an official holiday in 1929. It also happens to fall on the first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which honors Americans of Asian, Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian heritage. May is the month the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the US in 1843, and the month the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 by, mostly, Chinese immigrants.
AAPI Heritage Month & Lei Day
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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The island fox’s incredible comeback
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Observing World Braille Day in Bavaria
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World Numbat Day
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Fall comes to Pando
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Till the cows come home
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A ‘city’ within Valencia
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A day for the oceans
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Lionfish off the coast of Indonesia
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Sleep tight, little hedgehog
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Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
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International Whale Shark Day
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Harvest season begins
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Let’s talk fossils
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Earth Day and National Park Week
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Füzér Castle in the Zemplén Mountains, Hungary
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Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
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Innerdalsvatna Lake, near Ålvundeidet, Norway
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Rocky mountain pi
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Hemingway’s Keys
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In the Supertree Grove
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World Olive Tree Day
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A hint of spring
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Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
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Diwali
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National Take a Hike Day
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Dancing in The Nutcracker
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Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
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Go Fly a Kite Day
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The Great Blue Hole, Belize
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Via Krupp, Capri, Italy