Lantern Floating Festival

Her Holiness Shinso Ito performs a blessing of ceremonial area, people who are present, all the lanterns and of course the gone ones. After this blessing Her Holiness rings the bell and it is a sign that it is a time to float the lanterns.
As last elements of ceremony there are the entrance of six main lanterns and placing all the other lanterns into the water. These six main lanterns carries prayers for all spirits on behalf of all people. These prayers include not just prayers for people who have gone too soon but there are prayers for extinct and endangered animals and plants as well. And in the end all people who are present places their lanterns in the water. These lanterns are handmade by themselves and carries personal prayers for loved ones who have gone and hope for the future and the loved ones who are still present.
This festival is something different from all the associations people usually have hearing the word ‘’festival’’ but it is something very beautiful, majestic and special.
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