The ancient la ceremony was held to celebrate a good harvest, which was seen as a gift from the gods, and broomcorn porridge was shared in thanks. This later developed as a way to honour the ancestors and the Laba Festival was officially declared to be on this day in the 5th century.
Celebrated on the eighth (ba) day of the twelfth, or la, month, Laba is a traditional Han festival. People generally consider it to be the prelude to Spring Festival.
The ancient la ceremony was held to celebrate a good harvest, which was seen as a gift from the gods, and broomcorn porridge was shared in thanks. This later developed as a way to honour the ancestors and the Laba Festival was officially declared to be on this day in the 5th century.
After the spread of Buddhism, people said the eighth day of the twelfth month was when Sakyamuni became a Buddha. This only happened after he had almost starved to death as he practised Buddhism, and a shepherd girl helped him regain his strength by feeding him porridge and rice. Laba porridge, made of rice and dried fruit, began to be eaten by Buddhists in memory of this event and people still eat it today. In the Qing dynasty, the porridge would be granted to officials and servants by the emperor, empress and princes; monasteries would also be given some. Families made it to honour their ancestors and shared it among the family. From a list of several ingredients such as haricots, mung beans, millet and sticky rice, people can choose what to put in the porridge, which symbolises good luck (ba sounds like fa, which means fortune). Also, preserved apricot or peach, chestnuts, lotus seeds, raisins and other fruits and nuts can be used in the porridge, which is put into a pot of water and cooked over a slow fire. The recipe varies from region to region and preparations for the porridge usually begin on the seventh day of the twelfth month.
Some families see the colour of the porridge as being an important aspect and coloured beans will not be added to the pot so the mixture remains white. This looks wonderful when good dishes are used and the taste is delicious.
Families get together to eat laba porridge, and some even carve animal or people shapes into the fruits and kneed things such as tomatoes and jujube paste into it, but this is a special method and you will only find it in monasteries.
It is first offered to ancestors and the gods, then friends and relatives and it must be gone by midday. Then the whole family will sit round a table and enjoy it themselves. Any leftovers are seen as an omen that there will be enough for leftovers the following year, as well; sharing with the needy will bring virtue.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|