What is Laba Festival?

December 8 of the lunar calendar every year.

Laba Festival, that is, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, is also called "Magic Weapon Festival", "Buddhism and Taoism Festival" and "Daohui". Originally a Buddhist festival to commemorate the enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha, it gradually became a folk festival Laba porridge, also known as "seven treasures and five flavors porridge", "Buddha porridge" and "everyone's rice", which is a kind of porridge made of various ingredients. The earliest written record of Laba porridge was in the Song Dynasty. Wu's Dream in the Southern Song Dynasty says: "On the eighth day of this month, the temple name is Laba. Dasha and other temples have five-flavored porridge called Laba porridge. " China has been drinking Laba porridge for more than 1000 years. On Laba Day, Laba porridge is made in both royal temples and ordinary people's homes. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became more popular. In the north of China, if you have children, don't be greedy. After Laba, it is the year. " After Laba, it means the beginning of a new year. Every Laba Festival, the northern region is busy peeling garlic to make vinegar, soaking Laba garlic and eating Laba porridge. Laba is rarely mentioned in the south, and Laba Festival is a typical northern festival.