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The annual Shinnyo Lantern Floating in Honolulu will take place at Ala Moana Beach in the heart of Waikiki on May 27.
The ceremonial Memorial Day observance often draws more than 50,000 attendees to honor fallen service members. Each year 7,000 candle-lit lanterns bearing remembrances, prayers and affirmations are set afloat in the Pacific Ocean at sunset.
The free event is officiated by Shinnyo-en, an international Buddhist community with Japanese roots, and presented by its locally based social-contributing arm Na Lei Aloha Foundation. Themed “Many Rivers, One Ocean — Share Your Light,” the annual ceremony draws people from various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds in a gathering that aims to create a moment of collective remembrance, harmony and international friendship.
The ceremony starts with the sounding of conch shells and includes diverse cultural and spiritual rituals and artistic expressions, including a taiko [traditional drum] performance by Shinnyo Taiko, Hawaiian oli (chant), hula, music and the recitation of Buddhist sutras.
For those wishing to float a lantern, they will be available on site, at no charge, on the ceremony day. Volunteers retrieve the lanterns from the ocean following the ceremony and refurbish them for future use.
The first Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony was held in 1999 at Keehi Lagoon on Memorial Day and has grown in response to community interest.
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https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Shinnyo-Lantern-Floating-set-for-May-27-in-Waikiki