Lanterns floating out from the beach at Magic Island, commemorating the people who are no longer with us.
Nearly 50.000 showed up at Ala Moana today to remember their loved ones, and light a candle in their honor. The tradition started in the late 90s, and hails from the old Japanese tradition called toro nagashi.
The ceremony is hosted by Her Holiness Shinso Ito, as it has been since the very beginning, and blends the strong Japanese roots of the Hawaiian community with one of the more important holidays in the US: Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the day when Americans honor those who sacrificed their lives in service to their country, a number that continues to grow. In Hawaii, the military represents a large part of the community, with more than 45.000 military personnel stationed on the islands. Everyone knows someone who serves in the military, many knows someone who has died in service for the military.
Yesterday’s ceremony let people grieve the loss of loved ones, and the tragedies that has it the world on a global scale the last years. It was beautiful.
Wow this looks beautiful, this is such a nice way to remember them all.
xx
It really is! I wish we had something like this in Norway. Might have to adopt the tradition!