Comments on: VIDEO: Floating lanterns celebrate life at Wailoa Park

By: Joslyn

Joslyn — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:16:54 +0000

To Bob,
If you were to come and ask questions, we would gladly explain things to you. At our 1st floating lanterns we DID have candles, but the people in the boats had a difficult time gathering the lanters after as the melted wax got all over the boats. So we decided to use glow sticks. We DO NOT pollute the ocean, that is why we have two boats down the river to gather the lanterns. Afterwards, we gather the lantern coverings that everyone decorates for their loved ones and take it to Hilo Daijingu Church where the priest blesses it all then proceeds to burn them. We do not just throw them away. As for the lanterns we reuse them again just with different bags each year.
As for Cherdan, I don’t know where you live, but we have quite a lot of publicity for this event on the radio and in the newspaper, so I am sorry that you are NOT SO PROPERLY informed. Say what you wqnt about HIlo, but Hiloans have a lot to be proud of instead of misinformed people like you. Do you come out and volunteer? If not you can shut the hell up.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:56:59 +0000

wouldn’t this be better is candles were user instead of plastic glow sticks and battery powered lights. I love the idea of remembering our departed loved ones in this way but there is a lot of polution added to our shores and endangering our sealife.

By: Cherdan

Cherdan — Tue, 18 May 2010 06:00:45 +0000

Why didn’t I hear anything about this??! I first read about this nationally practiced ritual last year, and have eagerly wanted to participate since. I recently lost my older brother and this would have really helped me. I didn’t hear about it ANYWHERE. Watching this makes me so sad that I didn’t get to participate. Hilo is an absolute joke when it comes to getting word out about events. Shame.

By: Rachel Simon

Rachel Simon — Tue, 18 May 2010 02:49:45 +0000

This is absolutely beautiful! I love this festival, and very impressed by the video. I’m a hospice volunteer in Delaware, and I can’t help but think that if your video got the exposure it deserves, every hospice in America would be flooded with volunteers. Thank you for this celebration of life and human connection. I’ve posted it on my Facebook page.