Hari-Kuyo, or the Festival of Broken Needles, began over 400 years ago..
each year on February 8th, women honor the needles that have given
them loyal service throughout the year and lay them to rest
at Shinto shrines and Buddhist Temples across Japan.
The ritual also honors the secret sorrows & burdens.
As a person sews, their essence permeates the needle with their energy and aura.
The needles are believed to share these burdens, and take some of them into themselves,
so this burial is a way to thank them and put these matters to rest.
also known as Needle Mass
i’ve been saving my broken needles for a long time, never quite sure why..
always just felt a strong attachment/power/loyalty to them.
this ritual makes wonderful sense to me.. it will be lovely to celebrate it next year :)
<3s
sources:
wikipedia
oddity central
the examiner
Thank you for this! I’ve heard of it but this video was really wonderful! I save my needles, too. I (coincidentally) put them in a little Japanese wooden box that contained beautiful wooden toothpicks I got in Tokyo.
I would love to be in Japan during that festival!