Mourners honor loved ones at North Hawaii Hospice Floating Llantern Ceremony

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The annual North Hawaii Hospice Floating Lantern Ceremony took place on Sunday honoring and remembering lost loved ones.

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The free event, open to the public, has been hosted by the Fairmont Orchid in Waikoloa since 2011.

The event was originally planned for August 23, but the event was postponed due to high wind and rain in the forecast.

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The evening included a backdrop of music, chanting, hula, and taiko drums.

Some participants have been coming back to the event for several years.

A yearly participant, Lennie Campbell said, “Losing my father at 14 and then several years later I was in an automobile accident that claimed my mother and my son and I was the only survivor. I come to this event yearly to honor them to write to them to acknowledge them and remember them more than anything…one thing in my journey that I have learned is grief is literally love looking for a place to go after a loved one has gone.”

The event is a way for those grieving to find comfort among others who understand and be part of a community tradition that brings people together to honor the love and memories.

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