Visitors hold bowls of Laba porridge in front of the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing. Photo: IC

The upcoming Laba Festival: The day heralding the arrival of the Chinese New

The Laba Festival falls on the eighth day of the 12th month on the Chinese calendar. Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021, it is one of the important traditional festivals in China and is mainly popular in the northern part of the country. 

According to historical records, la has several meanings. It first signifies the connection between the old and new. It also means offering hunted animals as sacrifices to the ancestors and gods, and to pray for a good harvest in the coming spring. Since this ritual was held in the 12th month, the month became known as the "Month of La," and the day itself as the "Day of La." The Day of La was officially set on the eighth (ba) day during the Han Dynasty (202BC-AD220). 

The day also became related to Buddhism. It is said that after years of penance, Sakyamuni met a shepherdess who presented milk porridge to him, which helped him recover his physical strength. He then sat under a Bodhi tree and meditated for seven days, after which he achieved "enlightenment." In order to commemorate this day, Buddhists would hold a ritual and offer porridge as a sacrifice to the Buddha. After Buddhism was introduced to China from India, this custom was carried on in China's Buddhist temples. On that day, big pots would be set up to cook Laba porridge and offer it to worshipers. It was believed that someone who ate this porridge would gain the blessing of the Buddha, which ended up giving the Laba Festival a double meaning. This custom was first recorded during China's Song Dynasty (960-1279) and peaked in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). 

At the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing, it has been a tradition since 1725 to offer Laba porridge to and chant Buddhist sutras for Buddhist believers during the Laba Festival.  

On this day, people also preserve Laba garlic with vinegar. Day by day, this garlic will turn emerald green. By the time the Spring Festival arrives, this garlic goes perfectly with dumplings. There are several proverbs about the Laba Festival. A well-known one goes, "Children, children, be patient. After the Laba Festival, the New Year is coming with plenty of food." The Laba Festival in 2022 falls on December 30.

Global Times