Hari-Kuyo is a requiem service for needles held throughout Japan. The services are attended not only by tailors and dressmakers but also by people who sew at home. Traditionally, a shrine is set up in the Shinto style. On the top tier are offerings of cake and fruit, on the second tier there is a pan of tofu, and the bottom tier is for placing scissors and thimbles. People insert their broken or bent needles in the tofu while offering prayers of thanks to the needles for their years of service. A hari-kuyo is also held in Kyoto on Dec. 8. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary