Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery

The Lantern Festival is an annual Jamaica Plain tradition that takes place at Forest Hills Cemetery. Attendees decorate lanterns in memory of loved ones. After lighting a small candle in the center, each lantern is placed on Hibiscus Pond. The prayers and well-wishes then swirl around the pond.

Lanterns on Hibiscus Pond

The lanterns go in at dusk, and are preceded by entertainment. We arrived in time to see the Whiskey Boys play a four-song set. Four of the five “boys” live in JP.

Whiskey Boys performing
Whiskey Boys

After a bon festival dance by SHOWA Boston, Grandmaster Chuemon Tsuji Xi from the Samurai Academy in Weymouth began the taiko drumming, but not before rocking out on an electric guitar.

Taiko drumming
Taiko drumming

He also invited children to join him on the drums. These two girls initially refused, but soon changed their minds.

Grandmaster Chuemon Tsuji Xi with two girls from the audience
Grandmaster Chuemon Tsuji Xi with two girls from the audience

As it got dark, we moved from the stage to the banks of the pond. These boys were climbing a beech tree.

Boys in beech tree

The lanterns went in as it got dark.

Lanterns on Hibiscus Pond

Someone on the opposite bank released two sky lanterns, which drifted up and above the trees.

Sky lantern over Forest Hills
Sky lantern over Forest Hills

Homemade lantern on the water

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