Last evening I witnessed and participated in the 10 year anniversary of "The Lantern Floating Hawaii Many Rivers One Ocean" at Ala Moana Beach Park. It was a spectacular event with over 40,000 people from all walks of life, coming together for a common reason: to pay their respects to the dead and a wish for peace and harmony in our world. At sunset, over 2,000 lanterns were set afloat with names, personal messages, lanterns adorned with leis and colorful drawings by little "keikis" to their grandma and grandpa. 
For me, I think, one of the two most memorable parts of the evening was when the double hulled canoes paddled along the shore with the hundreds of lit wooden lanterns that were being placed on the waters. After those lanterns were afloat, you were then able to place your individual lantern on the waters. Everything became still and silent. It was quite an emotional and an incredible experience. Like being at a rock concert, but better! (Only a limited number of individual lanterns were given out in the afternoon. I was in line for almost 2 hours. I was one of the lucky ones!). The second most memorable part was just being there among the thousands of friends and families sharing the same experience, but each going away with something different. I'm not a religious person, but I do believe ... 
There were thousands and thousands of people lined up along the shoreline of the beach. I don't think there was a part of the beach you couldn't see. The stretch of beach had 3 huge screens so you could watch the performances and rituals taking place on stage. At the beginning of the event, a camera suspended above the waters on cables took an unbelievable ariel shot sweeping across the crowded beach to the stage. The opening ceremony began with the Shinnyo Taiko drummers and followed by a Buddhist service by Her Holiness Shinso Ito from Japan.
For me, I think, one of the two most memorable parts of the evening was when the double hulled canoes paddled along the shore with the hundreds of lit wooden lanterns that were being placed on the waters. After those lanterns were afloat, you were then able to place your individual lantern on the waters. Everything became still and silent. It was quite an emotional and an incredible experience. Like being at a rock concert, but better! (Only a limited number of individual lanterns were given out in the afternoon. I was in line for almost 2 hours. I was one of the lucky ones!). The second most memorable part was just being there among the thousands of friends and families sharing the same experience, but each going away with something different. I'm not a religious person, but I do believe ... 
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