memorial service for old needles
A traditional Japanese event held on February 8 or December 8, where old, broken, or bent needles are stuck into tofu or konnyaku and offered at a shrine to thank them for their service and pray for improved sewing skills.
At the needle memorial service, old needles are stuck into tofu and offered in remembrance.
Compound of 針 (hari, 'needle') and 供養 (kuyō, 'memorial service'). The exact origin is uncertain, but the practice is associated with Shintō and Buddhist traditions of honoring tools.