Last night was the annual Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery here in JP. The event is inspired by the Japanese Bon Festival, a traditional event held to honor ancestors. During the Festival, people light lanterns to invite ancestors to visit their families. Then, the lanterns are sent floating out to sea to guide ancestors back to the world of spirits. Prayers are offered so their souls may rest in peace.
About 1,00+ people gathered last night, inscribing wooden lanterns with personal messages to friends and family who have passed on. Calligraphers were there to inscribe shades with Chinese or Japanese characters for hope, love, peace or eternal spirit. We choose love and peace for ours. We added the names of our beloved grandparents and friends who have passed.



There was Japanese Taiko drummers playing,

and then at 8:30, while a bagpiper played, we took our lit Lantern to the edge of Lake Hibiscus to launch it with the others. It was so lovely looking at the thousands of lanterns illuminating the darkness while a full moon peaked over the trees.



