The origin and custom of Laba Festival

Laba Festival, commonly known as Laba, refers to the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. Laba Festival is a festival to worship ancestors and gods and pray for good harvest and good luck. According to legend, this day is the day when Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, became a monk and founded Buddhism under the bodhi of Buddha, that is, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so it is also called "Buddhist and Taoist Festival".

In China, Laba Festival has the custom of drinking Laba porridge and soaking Laba garlic. In Henan and other places, Laba porridge is also called "everyone's meal". It is a holiday food custom to commemorate the national hero Yue Fei.

Dietary customs:

1. Labazhou

Laba has the custom of drinking Laba porridge on this day. 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.

At court, emperors, queens and princes give laba porridge to civil and military ministers and attendants, and distribute rice and fruit to monasteries for monks to eat.

After laba porridge is cooked, you should sacrifice to God and ancestors first. After that, give it to relatives and friends, and be sure to send it out before noon. Finally, the whole family eats together. It is a good sign that the leftover Laba porridge will be preserved after eating for a few days, indicating that there is more than one year. If you give porridge to the poor, it will be better for you.

2. Laba garlic

In most parts of northern China, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the custom of soaking garlic with vinegar is called "Laba garlic". Pickling Laba garlic is a custom in northern China. A few days after Laba, it is the Spring Festival. Due to the soaking of vinegar, garlic is green and very beautiful, and vinegar also has the spicy taste of garlic. On New Year's Eve, around the Spring Festival, jiaozi, who ate laba garlic vinegar mixed with cold dishes, was delicious.

3. Laba tofu

"Laba Tofu" is a special product with folk flavor in Anhui County. On the eve of the Spring Festival, Laba, that is, around the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household in Guizhou county has to dry tofu, which is called "Laba tofu" by the people.

4. Laba noodles

In some places in northern China that produce little or no rice, people eat laba noodles instead of laba porridge. The next day, on the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the whole family will eat Laba noodles.