Today is the Laba Festival, a day deeply rooted in Chinese traditional culture. Also known as the "法宝 Festival," "Buddha's Enlightenment Festival," or "Enlightenment Assembly," it is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar. This festival not only blends Buddhist culture with Chinese traditional customs, but also carries people's gratitude for the harvest of the past year and their hopes for a prosperous new year.
Origin of the Laba Festival
The origin of the Laba Festival can be traced back to ancient sacrificial rituals. During the Xia Dynasty, this ritual was called "Qing Si," in the Shang Dynasty it was called "Jia Ping," and in the Zhou Dynasty, it was referred to as "Cuo." In the Qin Dynasty, it was officially renamed "La," and was set to occur every year in the 12th month, thus giving birth to the "Laba Festival." In ancient times, after the completion of agricultural work, people would hold sacrificial ceremonies to honor gods of agriculture, grain seeds, field roads, huts, cats, tigers, embankments, water ditches, and insects, thanking them for their contributions throughout the year. Since eight deities were worshipped, it was named "Cuo Ba," which later evolved into "Laba."
The addition of Buddhism brought an extra layer of meaning to the Laba Festival. Legend has it that when Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha, meditated under the Bodhi tree, he fainted due to hunger. A shepherd girl saved him by offering a porridge made of grains and wild fruits. After eating it, he regained his strength and eventually attained enlightenment on the 8th day of the 12th month. This is why Buddhist temples began to prepare porridge on this day to offer to the Buddha, commemorating his enlightenment, and this made the Laba Festival an important Buddhist holiday.
The Tradition of Eating Laba Porridge
Eating Laba porridge is one of the most traditional customs of the Laba Festival. Also known as "Seven Treasures and Five Flavors Porridge," it is made by cooking a variety of ingredients together. Although the ingredients vary by region, they typically include rice, millet, glutinous rice, barley, yellow beans, green beans, red beans, red dates, peanuts, goji berries, longan, lotus seeds, lilies, and brown sugar. The key to making Laba porridge is to add the ingredients in a specific order: first bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the porridge thickens and becomes flavorful.
Laba porridge is not only delicious but also symbolizes good fortune, harmony, family unity, and the expulsion of evil spirits. On this day, every household rises early to prepare Laba porridge, and the whole family eats together, expressing their hopes for a better life and showing love for their family members. Furthermore, Laba porridge is often given as a gift to friends and relatives, passing on warmth and blessings.
In addition to Laba porridge, there are various other customs and foods in different regions for the Laba Festival, such as "Laba steamed dishes" in the North, garlic hanging in the South, Laba noodles, Laba tofu, Laba vinegar, Laba cakes, and Laba zongzi. These diverse customs and foods not only enrich the festival’s cultural significance but also make it even more vivid and unique, showcasing the local traditions across China.
