What is Laba Festival and what to eat on this day
The Laba, literally meaning Eighth of La, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the La Month (or Layue), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar. This year the festival falls on Jan. 5, 2017. It is customary on this day to eat Laba Congee.
The Laba, literally meaning Eighth of La, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the La Month (or Layue), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar. This year the festival falls on Jan. 5, 2017. It is customary on this day to eat Laba Congee.
Mainly popular in Northeast China, Northwest China and Jiangnan (lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), Laba congee is the essential food for the festival. Since the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), it has had the custom of eating Laba congee on the Laba Festival. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), emperors usually offered Laba congee to their officials and the common people made it for sacrificing to their ancestors.
Buddhist temples offered Laba rice congee to the poor to show their faith to the Buddha. It was also used to present relatives and friends.
Laba congee usually contains glutinous rice, wheat, corn, dried dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, loongan meat, red beans, peas, millet, raisins and some other ingredients. It was mostly made with eight ingredients and boiled as the way to boil the common congee. By adding some sugar or salt, it will be tastier. As the beans is hard to boil, it's better to soak them for hours before boiling. After the congee is done, it is customarily offered to the gods and ancestors as the sacrifice first. Then it can be sent to relatives and friends. But it should be sent before noon. Finally, family enjoys it together.
(Edited by Stephanie Yang)
