What are the legends about Laba Festival?

The most important festival of the twelfth lunar month is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which was called the twelfth lunar month in ancient times, commonly known as Laba Festival. Since the pre-Qin period, Laba has offered sacrifices to ancestors and gods to pray for good harvest and good luck. In addition to the activities of offering sacrifices to ancestors and worshipping gods, people also have to chase the epidemic on Laba Festival. There are four theories about the origin of Laba Festival.

According to legend, the first Laba Festival is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which originated in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. It is said that when Zhu Yuanzhang was in trouble and suffering in prison, he was hungry and cold, and found some seven or eight kinds of whole grains such as red beans, rice and red dates from the rat hole in prison. Zhu Yuanzhang cooked these things into porridge. Because it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang called it Laba porridge. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor. In order to commemorate that special day in prison, he designated it as Laba Festival and officially named the miscellaneous grains porridge he ate that day Laba porridge.

Legend 2 It is said that Laba porridge comes from India. The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, was originally the son of Sudoku King in northern ancient India, which is now Nepal. He saw that all beings were born and died, and he was dissatisfied with the theocratic rule of Brahmins at that time. He gave up the throne and became a monk. After six years of asceticism, he became a Buddha under the bodhi tree on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. In the past six years, I have only eaten one hemp and one meter a day. Later generations did not forget his sufferings and ate porridge as a souvenir on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year. "Laba became the anniversary of Buddha's enlightenment.

Legend has it that the Three Laba Festival comes from the custom of playing ghosts with red beans. Legend has it that Zhuan Xu, one of the five emperors in ancient times, turned his three sons into evil spirits after his death and came out to scare children. These evil spirits are fearless, only afraid of red beans, so there is a saying that red beans play ghosts. Therefore, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, cooking porridge with red beans and red beans can dispel the epidemic and welcome the auspicious.

Legend has it that the Four Laba Festival originated from people's nostalgia for Yue Fei, a loyal minister. At that time, Yue Fei led troops to resist gold in Zhuxian town, which was in the severe winter of September. Yue Jiajun had no food and clothing, was hungry and cold, and the people sent porridge one after another. Yue Jiajun had a hearty meal of thousands of porridge sent by the people, and the result was a great victory. This day is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Laba porridge is also called Qibao Wuwei porridge. China has been drinking Laba porridge for more than 1000 years. It first started in the Song Dynasty. On the day of Laba, whether it is the imperial court, the government, temples, or the people's homes, Laba porridge will be cooked. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became more popular.