Japanese Buddhist and Shinto Festival of broken sewing needles
Hari-Kuyō is the Japanese Buddhist and Shinto Festival of broken sewing needles, celebrated on February 8 in the Kantō region, but on December 8 in the Kyoto Prefecture and Kansai region. It is celebrated by women in Japan as a memorial to all the sewing needles broken in their service during the past year, and as an opportunity to pray for improved skills. It is also called the Needle Mass and Pin Festival. "Hari" means "needle" and the suffix "-kuyo" means "memorial", derived from a Sanskrit word pūjā or pūjanā, meaning "to bring offerings".