Buddhist elements in traditional festivals

The most famous winter festival on solstice is Laba Festival, which is celebrated in many parts of the country.

At the end of the year, "La" has three meanings: one is "La, then it is also", which means the alternation of old and new (recorded in the Book of Rites of Sui Shu); The second is "wax hunters hunt together", which means that hunting in the wild can make animals sacrifice their ancestors and gods. "wax" comes from "meat", which means meat for "winter sacrifice"; Thirdly, it is said that "those who wax the wax will drive away the epidemic and welcome the spring", and Laba Festival is also called "Buddhist Daoism Festival" and "Daoism Society". In fact, it can be said that the eighth day of December is the origin of Laba Festival.

Laba Festival, commonly known as Laba, is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. The ancients had a tradition of offering sacrifices to ancestors and gods and praying for good harvest and good luck. In some areas, they have the custom of drinking Laba porridge. According to legend, this day is also the day when Buddha Sakyamuni became a monk and became a Taoist. It is called "Magic Weapon Festival" and is one of the grand festivals in Buddhism. [