Lei Aloha

A child in Hawaiian culture is often compared to a beloved lei. A well-known ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) states, “He lei poina ʻole ke keiki.” A lei never forgotten is the beloved child. This print features lei pua kenikeni, pakalana, pīkake and kī, and is designed to honor our keiki (children) with us today, and those that may have left us too soon, who we wear as lei on our hearts.

We want to honor those ānuenue (rainbow) babies and their families through this beautiful print. An ānuenue baby is a healthy baby born after the loss of a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. The term ānuenue refers to a rainbow appearing in the sky after storms or rainy days. In Hawaiʻi, the ānuenue is a symbol of transformation and is believed to be a celestial pathway used by the Hawaiian gods to visit Earth, as well as a route for the souls of departed loved ones. We hope this print showers aloha upon all the ānuenue (rainbow) babies and their beautiful ʻohana.