A night of remembrance and hope: CAM’s lantern ceremony shines bright in the darkness

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cameron Art Museum held its 9th annual lantern floating ceremony on Sunday evening.

Hundreds of people came out to decorate and personalize their lanterns, before having them floated out on the museum’s reflection pond.

The ceremony served as a way to look back and remember 2023, including those who passed away.

Midge Lee lost her husband John in September on the day after their 35th anniversary, making it a rough end to 2023 for her.

So when her friend Cindy told her about the ceremony, she felt it was a great way to celebrate and honor John.

“It’s just a wonderful way to kind of honor him and also look at new beginnings,” Lee said. “We both thought it would be a great thing to do, and just as tribute to people we love.”

But the ceremony wasn’t just about remembering, but also looking forward to the future.

“We’re thinking about just sort of launching our wishes into 2024,” Sarah Hallenbeck said. “Everyone is sort of involved in this massive art project together, but also doing things that are individually meaningful to them and I, you know, imagine them when they’re adults doing things like this just as a way to stay connected.”