THE Laba Festival is a major festival in La month (the 12th month on the Chinese lunar calendar), falling on its eighth day. On the Gregorian calendar this year, it falls on January 10. Laba is also regarded as a prelude to the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, as there are only three weeks left before its coming. This festival is more than 1,000 years old. The ancient Chinese made sacrifices to their ancestors and the deities on this day to wish for bountiful harvests and good luck over the next year. In many parts of China, people cook Laba porridge as a way of celebration.
As the saying goes: the new year is after Laba. It means that every year when Laba arrives, everyone will start preparing the items needed to welcome the new year. The so-called Laba porridge is made of various grains such as red beans, mung beans, black beans, peanuts, red dates, glutinous rice, and purple glutinous rice.
On this day, every household cooks laba porridge, which includes nearly 20 kinds of cereals, beans, nuts, and dried fruit.Laba porridge is not only easy to prepare, but also a nutritious winter food because it contains amino acids, protein, vitamins and other nutrition people need. Cooked nuts and dried fruit are good for soothing nerves, nourishing one’s heart and vitality, and strengthening the spleen. Perhaps that is why it is also called babao (Eight Treasure) porridge.
The origin of laba porridge. In the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1911), eating laba porridge was once in vogue. In the imperial palace, the emperor, his empress, and his sons normally sent their civil and military ministers as well as their servants laba porridge as a reward for their hard work on this day. They also sent cereals and fruits to monasteries. In every household, people made laba porridge for meals or to send to their friends and relatives.
