Honolulu’s popular Memorial Day floating lantern ceremony largely has been a celebration of the past, but on the event’s 20th anniversary, its organizers were hoping it would affect attendees’ future as well.

That’s why Shinso Ito, the founder of Shinnyo-en, the Buddhist denomination that started the annual ceremony, worked with the city to officially name this year’s ceremony the Shinnyo Lantern Floating Hawaii 2019.

During Monday’s ceremony, which attracted tens of thousands, Ito said via translation that “shinnyo” involves “remembering,” “celebrating” and finally “taking action — to make life meaningful for all.”

Ito’s hope is that people will carry the emotional and spiritual benefits they receive from the ceremony and turn it into actions to help others in their daily lives.

Charlene Flanter, communications manager for Na Lei Aloha, the community-building arm of Hawaii’s Shinnyo-en community, said the idea of the ceremony is “taking inspiration from this evening and turning it into acts of goodness.”

That’s always been the philosophy of Shinnyo-en — to practice via philanthropy and acts of kindness. Now, during the ceremony’s 20th anniversary and popularity, Shinnyo-en is looking to double down on that idea.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, of course, as people who attend come for their own reasons.

Franc Swike, who’s been volunteering for the event for eight years and served in the U.S. Air Force, said the ceremony is to remember those who died in the military.

“It’s remembering people who have fallen in combat … and gave the ultimate sacrifice so you could be free,” she said. “Memorial Day is to remember the dead.”

For Janelle Kupukaa, whose family lives in Ewa Beach, it’s a tradition to celebrate lost family members.

“I lost my daughter six years ago,” she said.

Kupukaa’s daughter died at age 14. Since then Kupukaa has been attending the ceremony in person to celebrate her and other family members she and her family have lost.

They used to watch the floating lantern ceremony from Kewalo Basin, but started coming to the ceremony in person after her daughter died.

What’s special about the ceremony, Kupukaa said, is that it brings everyone together because of one shared experience.

“Everybody’s lost somebody,” she said.

And while everyone emphasizes something a little different in the ceremony, everyone agreed that the ceremony has the ability to bring everyone together.

Justin Goshi, who’s part of the local Shinnyo-en community and has attended the ceremony since its inaugural rite in 1999, said the event brings together people from different backgrounds.

“We have something in common,” he said. “We may be strangers … but we can feel close.”

The shared experience is why the ceremony has such high attendance and why it still might be growing. It’s one of the largest Memorial Day observances in the country.

Attendance at the ceremony has exploded since its start in 1999, when there were about 5,000 attendees and it was held at Keehi Lagoon. Since then it moved to Ala Moana Beach Park, and attendance has grown to tens of thousands. Although 50,000 people were estimated to attend this year’s ceremony, the same as last year, volunteers believe there were more people this year than last.

“Attendance is definitely growing,” said Raelynn Batacan, a media contact for the event. “(Ala Moana Beach Park) is hitting max capacity.”

So much so, she said, that they are encouraging people to submit remembrances online that still can be written on a lantern and set adrift during the ceremony, rather than physically attend.