Saturday, February 8, 2014

Do You Have Your Needles Ready? UPDATED

Today is Hari Kuyo in Japan, the Festival of Broken Needles and the official end of the New Year's celebrations.   In a little while I will take my little jar of old needles I have collected all year, wrap them in colorful tissue paper, tie them with a bright ribbon, and carefully wrap the package a second time in aluminum foil before putting them in the trash can.  I don't want to put them into tofu and bury them or toss the tofu into the river so the annual trip with the trash man will have to do.  I am very grateful to my needles.  What would we do without them?
http://www.odditycentral.com/events/hari-kuyo-japans-unique-memorial-service-for-broken-needles.html

Now, let's all pick up our needles and head to Susan's for the official ceremony.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2014/02/harikuyo-2014.html

UPDATE:  And don't miss what Vicky has to say about needles....
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/disposing-of-broken-needles-hari-kuyo-style/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

2 comments:

wenhkc said...

I'm so careful with my stitching needles that I can't perform this ceremony every year...maybe only every two years...because they last quite a long time with me. With my sewing machine needles, however, I don't ceremonially toss them away, but reuse them. I like to hammer dull needles into my walls to hang my more lightweight needlework pieces or smaller photo frames. The needles are sturdy and don't make a large hold when removed like hanging nails would.

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

You are VERY clever to reuse your needles, Wen. I have acid hands so mine don't last a long time but I never thought to reuse them. Recycle, make do or do without!