by Christine Ka’aloa
Photo by Leslie Lang on HonoluluOnTheCheap.com
Biking with my sister- our route started from the Waikiki Yacht Club and made its way through Diamond Head and Kahala and then circled back around to Kapahulu and then Ala Moana Beach Park. It ended when we saw the beach park entrance baracaded and large streams of crowd walking in to participate in one of Hawaii’s largest cultural events…
This past Memorial Day over 40,000 people attended the 10th Annual Lantern Lighting celebration at Ala Moana Beach Park. BBQ grills, bento plate lunches and blue tarp family picnic tents were out in abundance in typical “local island style”. Some spectators brought towels or mats and found sitting real estate on the sand, where they could best view the giant video monitors and the entertainment stage . The program commenced at 6:30P with local entertainment and ceremonial stagings and climaxed with the release of more than 2,000 eco-friendly lanterns into the ocean. This year’s ceremony was scheduled to coincide with Memorial Day in order to honor soldiers who fought in the war; as well as, celebrate the ancient Japanese Buddhist tradition of Obon, a ceremonial season honoring departed loved ones. The floating paper lanterns (originally called “Toro Nagashi”) were available on a first come first serve basis and donations were voluntary. People were then free to inscribe handwritten messages and prayers for their loved ones on the lanterns; as it is customary belief that once released into the ocean, the prayers and wishes written on them will be recieved.
Hawaii, a multi-cultural state with a substantially large Japanese demographics, has always adopted and adapted the traditions of its diverse ruling demographic groups such as Japanese, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, Korean. These cultures and traditions continue to define Hawaiian Island culture, events and lifestyle to this day.
Participation in the event is free and open to all cultures and religions.
Donations are welcome and go to the beautification of Ala Moana Beach Park.
For more information you can go to : www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com/
Date: Memorial Day
Location: Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu, Hawaii
