Aloha from Hawaii: lantern floating ceremony

Showing posts with label lantern floating ceremony. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2018

Lantern Floating Ceremony on Memorial Day on Oʻahu’s south shore

Every year on Memorial Day, around 50,000 people gather on the south shore of Oahu in Honolulu to pay homage and tribute to veterans and honoring the loved ones who have gone before us. It an event that signifies remembrance, reflection, and offering gratitude to our family and friends who are no longer with us on this earthly journey.

The event is also live streamed and telecast to be watched by thousands around the world as

People float special lanterns that are inscribed by hand with prayers and personal messages.

The ceremony starts with the opening of the iconic Hawaiian shell trumpet, or kani pū, followed by Japanese taiko, the ceremony then involves a chant, or oli, which calls in six large Parent Lanterns offering prayers and gratitude. And so on, this wave pattern continues.

People line up early morning at the Ala Moana beach to gather the personal lanterns that are offered free of charge on Memorial Day morning. The lantern distribution starts at 7 AM and continues till the supply lasts. You can then hand write your own special prayers and messages of remembrance on the paper provided and then float the lantern in the ceremony at sunset.

The making of lanterns

Courtesy: Nā Lei Aloha Foundation

If you cannot be personally present or choose not to float an individual lantern, you may place your remembrances on the original handcrafted wooden-frame Collective Remembrance Lanterns that will be floated from the canoes or from shore by volunteers.

You may visit the Shinnyo-en Hawaii temple located at 2348 S. Beretania ahead of the actual ceremony to write your remembrances on special paper that will be placed onto a Collective Remembrance Lantern.

Courtesy: Nā Lei Aloha Foundation

Collective remembrances will also be accepted at the beach on the ceremony day from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m at the Collective Remembrance Tent located next to the Lantern Request Tent.

Hawaii Convention Center provides a free parking for all those who are participating in the ceremony from 7:00 a.m.-11:59 p.m. with a complimentary shuttle and special transport for the physically disabled.

The shuttle runs from the Hawaii Convention Center to Ala Moana Beach from 3:00-6:15 p.m. and then back to the Hawaii Convention Center after the ceremony through 9:30 p.m.

May you take time to pause in remembrance and gratitude for your loved ones creating a moment of harmony and hope amid diversity.

Visit the Lantern Floating Hawaii website for more details and how to submit your messages and for information about live streaming of the ceremony.

Monday, May 29, 2017

In preparation of the Lantern Floating Ceremony on Memorial Day.

The lanterns

Memorial Day in America is celebrated to remember and honor the fallen heroes, who have sacrificed their lives in line of duty. Hawai’I has largest ethnically diverse population and have adopted the tradition of Memorial Day into its culture, as a day to honor and remember the loved ones. It’s a norm in Hawaii to remember the fallen heroes, others family members and friends by floating lanterns into ocean.

Link to Lantern Floating Ceremony in Honolulu.

Many Rivers, One Ocean

Honolulu is among the top 10 destinations for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

The first lantern floating in Hawaii was held at Ke'ehi Lagoon on the south shore of O'ahu in 1999, but was moved to Ala Moana Beach in 2002, where it is observed every year since. The first ceremony was officiated and inaugurated by Her Holiness Shinso Ito, Head Priest of Shinnyo-en.

Over 6000 lanterns are given out starting at 10 AM till 4 PM so that people have ample time to write the messages and prepare the lanterns. The lines start forming at 4AM as soon as the park opens.

People waiting in lines to get the lanterns.

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A mile long line for the lanterns.

The preparation of this grand ceremony begins a month before the actual day at the Ala Moana Beach Park.

Dozens of volunteers from schools and community groups spent this Saturday assembling many of the more than 6,500 lanterns that will be set afloat at Ala Moana Beach Park.

There is a separate line for special needs people

People camping at the park

The large screen

People enjoying at the beach

The large stage

The large screen

Chairs for the special guests.

Area cordoned off for the public

Preparation in progress

View from the magic island

A large crane at site

Children enjoy the day on the beach

Restrooms

People camping

A large stage to conduct the ceremony is erected in the park along with many large screens to carry out live streaming of the ceremony. An area of the park is cordon off for the public so that preparation can go smoothly for the ceremony.

Basic amenities like restrooms, drinking water and first-aid are provided at the park, so that people can spend the whole day at the park. People start camping at the park from 4AM to secure a good spot. It’s a day for cooking, eating, and spending time with family and friends on the beach.

It is estimated that about 50,000 people will be on the beach, joined by thousands around the world via live streaming and telecast.

The ceremony opens with the sounding of the pū, or Hawaiian conch shell, which sanctifies the area and marks the commencement of the ceremony, followed by Japanese taiko. Prayers and messages of remembrance are hand-written on paper and fixed onto floating lanterns. The lanterns are released into the water as a symbolic gesture. They are collected afterwards from the sea by volunteers, refurbished and stored for next year.

Canoes,for collecting the lanterns back

Link to Lantern Floating Ceremony in Honolulu.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Lantern floating ceremony Hawaii

Lantern floating

Lantern floating Hawaii is held annually on Memorial day on South shore of Island of O’ahu to honor loved ones and generate hope toward the future. The ceremony brings together 50,000 people on the beach, joined by millions more around the world via live broadcast.

people gathered at Ala Moana for lantern floating ceremony

The ceremony is held by Shinnyo-en, the international Buddhist community and is an example of Shinnyo-en’s fire and water ceremonies, which aim to awaken wisdom and compassion.

On this day, people from different ethnicity and culture, all come together for collective as well as personal moment of remembrance, deliberation and acknowledgement to those who have gone before us. It is a moment in time to surround ourselves with love, kindness, peace and supporting others, even total strangers who are on the same journey as we are.

This ceremony rejuvenate all of us as a community as we reach out to support others on the path of peace and healing, at the same time recognizing the common value we share.

Memorial day in America is a day when people remember and honor the fallen heroes, who have sacrificed their lives in line of duty. Hawai’I has largest ethnically diverse population and have adopted the tradition of memorial day into its culture as a day to honor and remember our loved ones. It’s a norm in Hawaii to remember the fallen heroes, others family members and friends by placing flowers on grave.

Over 6000 lanterns were given out starting at 10 AM and they ran out of supply two hours earlier than before. It gave people ample time to write the messages and prepare the lanterns.

According to the Lantern Floating.com, Hawaii ,the elements of the ceremony are:

Pū - The sounding of the pū, or Hawaiian conch shell, sanctifies the area and marks the commencement of the ceremony.

Shinnyo Taiko – The sound of the taiko calls people together. It is offered as a prayer for peace, with hope that people reach out in the spirit of creating harmony to support one another.

Oli - This Hawaiian chant calls the attention of all who are present to prepare their hearts to receive the importance of what will follow.

Hula - A visual portrayal of mele (song) or oli (chant) through dance. "Ka Lei Moana".

Entrance of Main Lanterns - Six large Main Lanterns carry prayers for all spirits on behalf of all people. Prayers are offered for victims of war, water-related accidents, natural and manmade disasters, famine and disease. Gratitude is offered for all - even endemic, endangered and extinct plant and animal life. These lanterns are floated with the hope of encouraging harmony and peace.

Main lantern

Six main lanterns

Light of Harmony - In the spirit of friendship, community leaders from various sectors symbolically demonstrate their unified commitment to creating harmony amid diversity.

Blessing and transformation – Her Holiness Shinso Ito offers a blessing of the ceremonial area, the lanterns, all who are being remembered, and all in attendance prior to the floating of lanterns.

Offering of food and water - This ritual symbolizes the offering of spiritual nourishment to the souls of those being remembered.

Strewing of flower petals – Since ancient times, flowers have adorned the path of honored ones. The scattering of flowers on the path symbolizes the love and respect that we offer to our loved ones.

Shomyo – A fusion of traditional Buddhist chant and Western choral harmony.

Ringing of the Bell - The crystal clear sound of Her Holiness Shinso Ito's bell focuses everyone's thoughts and prayers and signifies that it is time to float the lanterns.

Floating of Lanterns - Lanterns are placed onto the water with wishes for the peace and happiness of loved ones past while unveiling courage and hope in the hearts of those in the present.