This weekend was extra special for me. In addition to having a long weekend, I also got to have my parents in town. One of the special things I got to share with them was the Hawaii Lantern Floating Ceremony.
Hawaiians use Memorial Day to remember fallen service men & women, but they also use the day to remember all their loved ones who are no longer living. One of my coworkers reported that she and her family planned on visiting three cemeteries in one weekend.
Another way Hawaiians celebrate is with a beautiful Buddahist ceremony of floating lanterns. I took the parents and joined 40,000 other people down on the beach. We wrote special messages to loved ones lost in the previous year. We then placed the messages on a floating lantern and lit a candle. Finally we waded out into the ocean to release our lantern.
The ceremony was beautiful. I'm not even sure words can describe it. The ocean was full of messages to lost loved ones all floating out to sea. As long as you don't mind crowds, I recommend this for anyone visiting during Memorial weekend. It makes you realize this weekend is about more than just beaches and BBQs.
And now for the pictures, since they'll capture the event better than my words:
Here's the the lantern. We printed messages on the other sides.
Mom and Dad watching the ceremony. This may have been the 1st time all of us heard a Buddhist elder speak. 
But the lantern wasn't alone for long. Here's the crowd up to their waists in the ocean and all the candles floating in the distance.
And now for the pic of the week:
Reunited at last with my Mama and Daddio!!!
Mahalo!
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