Every Memorial Day, as the sun sets on Honolulu, the waters surrounding Magic Island come alive with the flickering lights of thousands of lanterns. These lights are part of an ancient Asian tradition of releasing lanterns into the sea to commemorate lost loved ones. According to the official web site http://www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com), "As the lanterns are released onto the ocean they take with them our healing prayers for victims of conflict, famine, disaster and disease as well as our hopes for the happiness of all past and present."

In 2009, I was lucky enough to witness this magical event, and I captured some images I'd like to share. Enjoy!