The Laba Festival
The LABA FESTIVAL is a traditional Chinese festival. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month. In Chinese, the 12th lunar month is called “La” and eight is pronounced “ba”. So the festival was named “Laba”. It falls on January 13 this year.
Chinese people will have laba porridge on the day of the festival. This tradition dates back to the Song dynasty. Ancient Chinese people attached great importance to farming. When they had a good harvest, farmers would offer sacrifices(祭品) to heaven and earth.
Cooking laba porridge was one way to celebrate the harvest. The porridge was offered as a sacrifice. Family members would also have laba porridge together and leave some. It symbolized a good harvest next year.
There are now lots of ways to cook laba porridge. It is made of different kinds of rice, beans, dried nuts, etc. The porridge is a very nutritious food in winter. It is enjoyed by many Chinese people.
