In Asian cultures, rice is strongly “associated with women and fertility” and religious ceremonies have been conducted mainly for “assurance of rice, fecundity of domestic animals, and propagation of the human species.” Throughout Southeast Asia and specifically in Indonesia, “people harvest rice with small finger knives so the rice goddess doesn’t become upset.” Both in Indonesia and the Philippines, senior skilled women have traditionally used delicate hand knives to carefully select the seed rice for future harvests. Many Southeast Asian cultures believe in a female rice deity and still today they make offerings and practice rituals to honor her. (from a presentation by Dr. Eric Crystal, UCLA 2004)