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May

28

2012

May

28

2012


Remember a Loved One at the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival

Published by Jason Hussong, Writer

Country: United States

The Experience

During the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival at Honolulu’s Ala Moana Beach Park, thousands of small, floating luminaries cover the bay, heading out to sea with fond messages and remembrances for loved ones who have passed. An estimated 40,000 people are in attendance, residents and visitors alike, to honour their loved ones, as well as others who have passed as a result of troubles though war, disease, and famine, among other things.

The Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival first took place on Memorial Day in 1999 at the Keehi Lagoon. It was held there annually for three years before making the move to the Ala Moana Beach Park to better accommodate the growing crowds. The practice of floating a lantern to remember loved ones lost is an Asian tradition that was held at the end of the summer in Japan at the conclusion of the Obon Festival. It was brought to Hawaii and has since coincided with the American tradition of honouring the war dead on Memorial Day.

The Hawaii Lantern Floating Festival is an all-day event for many families; and people line up at the gate to Ala Moana Beach Park waiting to get in when it first opens in the morning. They spend the day at the Park together cooking, playing games, and enjoying some time in the sun and the water. And then the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival begins at dusk with a spectacular performance by the Shinnyo Taiko drummers, followed by several other groups, and concluding with a ceremony by Her Holiness Keishu Shinso Ito of the Shinnyo-en Buddhist order.

One by one, the lanterns are placed in the water at Ala Moana Beach Park, starting out as a trickle. Soon a wave of beachgoers step into the water to send their own lanterns out to sea. Messages to their family and friends, loved ones lost, are written on the side of each luminary. Other, broader lanterns which bless those who have died in war, from disease, or by natural disasters, are sent out by an outrigger and placed into the water far out in the bay. And then, before the concluding blessing, Her Holiness Shinso Ito places her own lantern in the water, waving at it fondly as its message is sent.

Brothers and sisters hold hands, husbands and wives hold each other, and everyone at the Ala Moana Beach Park during the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival is part of something greater than themselves. They are all part of humanity wishing for a more peaceful existence, as is the basis for the Asian spiritual tradition and the Lantern Floating Festival in Hawaii.

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When to Go to Lantern Floating Hawaii

The Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival is held each year at the end of May on Memorial Day. It is meant to coincide with the war memorials that are also held on Oahu at the same time. The Festival is currently located at the Ala Moana Beach Park, just a short drive from Waikiki Beach.

Odds n' Ends

If you're interested in lounging on the beach, cooking, and enjoying the day at Ala Moana Beach Park, it is necessary to get there early when the Park first opens. Crowds wait in the pre-dawn hours for the Park's gates to open, so you're sure to miss out on prime beach real estate if you're not there with them. If you want to spend the rest of the day elsewhere, and show up just for the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival, be sure to walk or take a cab to the beach as parking will be a virtual impossibility.

You will need to arrive relatively early if you want to float a lantern of your own at the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival. It is not necessary to be at the Ala Moana Beach Park when it first opens, but mid to late afternoon is when the lanterns can run out. And while the lanterns are free of charge, it is a good idea to bring a few dollars to make a donation and for any incidentals like drinks, food, etc.

Finally, if you plan to spend time at the Ala Moana Beach Park during the day before the Lantern Floating Hawaii Festival, the usual beach safety precautions like sunscreen, a cap, etc., should be taken.

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Lonely Planet Hawaii Regional Travel Guide
A Year of Festivals
300 Unmissable Events and Festivals Around the World

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Lantern Floating Hawaii

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