Laba Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China, which is celebrated every year on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. It originated in Buddhism and was originally commemorated to commemorate the enlightenment of Buddha Shakyamuni. Laba is also a folk festival with various celebrations and Xi on this day.
The earliest written record of the Laba Festival appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the Southern Song Dynasty Wu Zimu's "Dream Lianglu" recorded: "On the eighth day of this month, the temple is called Laba. Dasha and other temples, all have five-flavor porridge, called Laba porridge. "Since Buddhism was introduced to China, various monasteries have made porridge from fragrant grains and fruits to give to disciples and good men and women. On this day, the monasteries hold puja meetings, following the allusion of the shepherd girl offering chyle before the Buddha's enlightenment, and cook porridge with fragrant grains and fruits to offer to the Buddha, which is called Laba porridge.
With the passage of time, Laba gradually developed from a Buddhist festival to a folk festival. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking laba porridge was even more popular. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty would invite their ministers to taste Laba porridge on the Laba Festival to demonstrate the charity and benevolence of the royal family. At the same time, this Xi has also been widely passed down among the people, and people make Laba porridge on the day of Laba, whether it is the imperial court government, the temple or the homes of the Li people.
One of the main Xi customs of Laba Festival is to drink Laba porridge. Laba congee is a type of porridge made from a variety of ingredients, including rice, beans, dried fruits, etc. The Xi of drinking Laba porridge dates back to the Song Dynasty and was first used as food for the Buddha in temples. Later, it gradually spread to the people and became an important activity for families to celebrate the Laba Festival. There are other Xi customs in the Laba Festival, such as peeling garlic to make vinegar, soaking Laba garlic, and eating Laba noodles and Laba tofu. Laba is less celebrated in the south, and Laba porridge is a typical northern festival.
Laba Festival is also regarded as the prelude to the New Year, and there is a proverb "Don't be hungry for children, children, after Laba is the New Year". After Laba Festival, people begin to prepare for various celebrations for the New Year. In addition to drinking Laba porridge and other Xi, Laba also has some local celebrations, such as depotted ice in Beijing and Laba garlic in Heilongjiang. These events reflect China's rich and diverse cultural traditions.
Laba Festival is an important part of traditional Chinese culture, it is not only a religious festival, but also a festival celebrated by the people. By celebrating Laba Festival, people can feel the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture, and inherit and promote these traditional Xi customs and values. Laba is a time for people to reunite, pray and celebrate, and it is also an important embodiment of traditional culture.
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