The Laba Festival falls on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year. Originally a Buddhist festival commemorating the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha, it has been passed down and transformed into a folk festival.

The Origin of Laba Festival

Laba Festival is one of the grand Buddhist festivals. It is said that Sakyamuni practiced asceticism for many years. After eating a bowl of Congee offered by a shepherd girl, he recovered his physical strength and became a Taoist.

Laba Festival Customs

1、 Eat Laba Congee. Laba Congee, also known as "Buddha porridge" and "everyone's meal", is a Congee made from various grains. On the Laba Festival, monks in the temple beg alms along the street and cook rice and fruit collected into Laba Congee for everyone. People believe that having Laba Congee will be blessed by Buddha, so Laba Congee is also called "Buddha porridge".

2、 Eat Laba garlic. In northern China, the low temperature before the Laba Festival makes it very suitable for marinating Laba garlic. At the Laba Festival, the pickled Laba garlic is ready for people to taste.

On the day of Laba Festival, people cook various grains into food, thanking for a bountiful harvest and hoping for a smooth year ahead, passing on the virtues of diligence and thrift.