Harikuyo, the Festival of Broken Needles
On February 8th, all across
Japan, Harikuyo will take place in Shinto shrines and
Buddhist temples. Hari means needle, and Kuyou is
a Buddhist memorial service; Memorial services are usually held for
spirits of the dead but it is also common to hold them for inanimate
objects that have served well in life, or indeed that life depends
on.
Known as the Festival of Broken
Needles, it is a ritual of thanks and respect for tools of the sewing,
tailoring and embroidery trades. It dates back 1500 years; women (and
men) dress in fine kimono and gather together all of the needles
they've used, broken and/or and worn out during the previous year. They
proceed to the local temple or shrine, where a three-tiered altar is
prepared. The lower level displays sewing accessories, such as
scissors, thimbles, thread and so forth. The top tier offers seasonal
fruit, and white mochi (ceremonial rice cake offerings). In the center
section is a large slab of tofu, into which everyone plunges the pieces
of their broken needles.
Later they will be taken to a
sacred final resting place. The tofu keeps them safe and not forgotten,
yet because of being protected in the tofu they can do no harm with
their points. In a second sense they are still present in life.
The priest will incant a sutra, that reflects the passage of the
needles from use, and invokes a Buddhist blessing that is passed on to
the users of the needles. By showing respect to the needles they have
used through the past year, they are offering thanks and requesting
that the power and energy of the needles be present in the stitchers
for the coming year, so that their skills may be improved. Priests will
also sing sutras to comfort the needles, heal their broken spirits and
thank them for work well done. No sewing takes place on this day.
Resources: Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American
Museum of Natural History; Rufus, Anneli: The World Holiday Book,
Harper San Francisco 1994; About.com/Japan
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Last updated 1/08 © 2000, 2008
G.Thompson