Today’s Memorial Day Celebration in Honolulu includes the very popular Lantern Floating Ceremony at Ala Moana Beach.
Today just before the sun sets on Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu thousands of people will be launching their tiny lantern boats. Many of the lantern boats were made by the boat launchers and the lanterns carries messages and names of people how has passed.
The Street writes:
Participants in the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony release about 3,000 glowing lanterns into the Pacific Ocean. Each lantern is constructed in advance by volunteers, and participants are encouraged to write their remembrances, memories and prayers on the lanterns. The lanterns are floated in the ocean, offering a beautiful and moving visual to observers.......
In Japan, lantern floating ceremonies are traditionally held to conclude the Obon Festival, a period of respect for ancestors. Lantern Floating Hawaii was brought to Hawaii by Shinnyo-en Buddhists to coincide with the American custom and tradition of honoring fallen soldiers for Memorial Day. The first Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony was held in 1999, and every year the event has grown in popularity and attendance .....
Here is a video of a fallen soldier’s father who experinced the event.
The ceremony tonight will be presented LIVE ONLINE: (The latern floating part is probably the last 45 mins)
6:30 - 8:00 pm HST
9:30 - 11:00 pm PDT
12:30 pm - 2:00 am EDT
1:49 PM PT: Updated to correct link to The Street