Do You Know The Legends And Customs Of The Chinese Laba Festival?

Tomorrow is the Laba Festival!

"Children, don't be greedy, it's the New Year after Laba"! This is a Chinese proverb. Celebrating the Laba Festival means the beginning of the New Year.

1.The nickname of Laba Festival

Laba Festival, which falls on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year, is also known as the "Dharma Treasure Festival", "Buddha Enlightenment Festival", "Enlightenment Meeting", etc. In ancient times, the Laba Festival was originally a festival for the Buddhist Sakyamuni Buddha to become enlightened. Later, it gradually became a folk festival.

2.There are many legends circulating in China about the Laba Festival, one of which is related to Zhu Yuanzhang.(an emperor in ancient china)

Laba Festival is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (December) of the lunar calendar. Legend has it that it originated in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. It is said that when Zhu Yuanzhang was imprisoned and suffered in prison, it was cold weather, cold and hungry, and he actually dug out a mouse hole in the prison. Find some seven or eight kinds of whole grains such as red beans, rice, and red dates. Zhu Yuanzhang cooked these things into porridge. Because it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang euphemistically called this pot of multi-grain porridge Laba porridge. Enjoyed a wonderful meal. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang brought peace to the world and became emperor from the north to the south. In order to commemorate that special day in prison, he designated this day as Laba Festival and officially named the whole grain porridge he ate that day Laba porridge.

3.In China, on the Laba Festival, every household usually drinks Laba porridge and makes Laba garlic.

Laba porridge:

There are many different styles of Laba porridge in various parts of China. Among them, the ones from the north are the most particular. There are many items mixed with white rice, such as red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, longans, hazelnuts, raisins, ginkgo, water chestnuts, black hair, roses, red beans, peanuts... there are no less in total. Twenty kinds. On the night of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, people start to get busy, washing rice, soaking fruits, peeling, removing cores, carefully sorting, then starting to cook, and then simmering over low heat until the Laba porridge is ready.

 

Laba garlic:

The preparation of Laba garlic is extremely simple. Put the peeled garlic cloves into a container such as a jar or bottle that can be sealed, then pour vinegar into it, seal it and put it in a place that will not be exposed to the sun. place. Slowly, the garlic soaked in vinegar will turn green, and eventually it will become completely green, like emerald jasper. If you soak garlic on Laba Festival, you can basically eat it with dumplings during the Chinese New Year.