Few if any Memorial Day tributes can match the poignancy and sublime beauty of the Lantern Floating Hawaii Ceremony. If you’re visiting us over Memorial Day weekend, a short hop to Honolulu is a small price to see this wonderful event. This year’s ceremony, the 17th annual, is Monday, May 25 at the Magic Island End of Ala Moana Beach Park from 6-7:30 p.m. More than 40,000 people are expected to watch the 5,000 candlelit lanterns set afloat with the names of deceased love ones.
Shinso Ito, head of Japan’s Shinnyo-en Buddhist order, will once again preside over the ceremony. Attendees will enjoy music and witness the ceremonial lighting of the Light of Harmony, which precedes the launching of the lanterns. If you are interested in setting adrift the memory of a loved one on a sea of light and tranquility, you can pick up a lantern on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. the day of the ceremony.
To learn more about this special event, please visit the event website. The ceremony will be streamed live for those who cannot attend.