Last year, Susan Elliott of Plays with Needles introduced us to Hari-Kuyo, the Japanese Festival of Broken Needles, which is celebrated February 8. This year, she adds to her observations. She says,
The sewers and kimono makers of Japan will go to a shrine, taking with them their broken needles and pins that have served them in the prior year. (Hari means “needle” and kuyo means “memorial service”.) The needles/pins are placed into tofu or konnyaku. The act of placing them in soft tofu serves to soothe the needles after their many hours of sewing.
Shown here are the needles Susan has broken this year, waiting to be laid to rest. Learn more about this tradition from her post.
I keep a little spice container to hold my broken needles for just this “event.”