Many folks come and buy a floating lantern and spend the day with their family and friends by decorating the lantern-boat. Usually, these are brightly colored with names of loved ones who have died.
Kathy and I attended and listed to the traditional Pacific Island music. The drummers were fantastic and the children hula dancers were incredible. We sat behind the stage but it gave us a great vantage point of the lanterns as they got launched.
This is a big event for the city and the locals have practiced hour after hour to do their chants and their dances for this televised event. We could see the nervousness of the performers backstage but we also saw the monk walk to each one and give them words of wisdom and calm each of them down. As the show was in the front, he walked to the side and meditated for a long while (below). It was obvious that he was a kind and thoughtful man.
Kathy noted that the security detail for this event came with surfboards!
The sun set and people gathered at the shore, putting their decorated lantern in the quiet bay. The breeze had been coming in all day but as the lanterns floated, it changed and gently pushed them out.
Many years ago, the lanterns were floated out to sea and often found the next day on other islands. It is kind of neat to think that one's well wishes could go so far. Recently, the organizers have stopped the lanterns at the mouth of the bay and brought them in so that the lanterns don't add to the pollution in the sea.
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