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Celebrant says no... |
Don't wanna bring a downer on things, but there are some things I'm not cool with...
- BALLOON RELEASE
- CHINESE LANTERN RELEASE
- DOVE RELEASE
- BUTTERFLY RELEASE
Basically, not ok with littering the planet with plastic (or the so-called ‘biodegradable latex’) that can kill countless animals and cause power outages, potentially travelling thousands of miles to pollute the most remote and pristine places. When a lantern lands, there is no guarantee the fire is completely out or cool, and contact with any flammable surface could start a fire. Using doves, even by a professional team, doesn’t sit well with my aversion of using animals for entertainment – including butterflies, which often die in transit and are usually sleepy when released, end up on the floor and get squished.
Suggested alternatives...
- flying wish paper
- blowing bubbles
- origami
- ribbons hung from trees
- candlelit vigil
- memorial stones
- seedbombs
- floating petals or flowers down a stream or river
- fly kites (In China this represents life and honouring the dead. In Guatemala, tying messages to the kite tails is a hope of communicating with the departed)
A final big no-no for me is being in the presence of those tiny net bags containing sugared almonds... (unless you're Italian and know the actual symbolism) although if I really like you, I'll make an exception.
