Mochi pounding, as I remember it from my childhood in Hawaii. It was done sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Everyone in the neighborhood participated. The night before, each family would soak sweet rice in water. The next day, they would all get together to cook the rice in wooden boxes over a fire, pound it with wooden mallets until it was a sticky dough, then form it into little cakes. The finished mochi was boxed up so each family could take theirs home. I meant to post this on New Year's, but didn't get it finished in time. Consider it a slightly late New Year's greeting. Happy New Year, all! :-)