Laba has the custom of eating Laba porridge on this day. Laba porridge is also called Qibao Wuwei porridge. China has been drinking Laba porridge for more than 1000 years. It first started in the Song Dynasty. On the day of Laba, whether it is the imperial court, the government, temples, or the people's homes, Laba porridge will be cooked. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became more popular. At court, emperors, queens and princes give laba porridge to civil and military ministers and attendants, and distribute rice and fruit to monasteries for monks to eat. In the folk, every household should also make laba porridge to worship their ancestors; At the same time, family members get together for dinner and give gifts to relatives and friends.
Although the ingredients of Laba porridge in different regions are different, they basically include cereals such as rice, millet, glutinous rice, sorghum rice, purple rice and coix seed, beans such as soybeans, red beans, mung beans, kidney beans and cowpeas, and dried fruits such as red dates, peanuts, lotus seeds, medlar, chestnuts, walnuts, almonds, longan, raisins and ginkgo. Laba porridge is not only a seasonal food, but also a good health care product, especially suitable for maintaining the spleen and stomach in cold weather.
Laba was originally a day of sacrifice, and some places still retain this custom. The objects of sacrifice are: Shennong, Shensi, Hou Ji, Nong Shen, Tianguan, Postal Desk God, Taoist Painting God, Cat and Tiger God, Workshop God, Water God, Insect God and so on. Later, in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the elements of offering sacrifices to the Buddha were incorporated, and Buddhism used to offer sacrifices to the Buddha on this day. Some areas are very magnificent.
Since the pre-Qin period, Laba Festival has had the custom of offering sacrifices to ancestors and gods and praying for good harvest and good luck. Moreover, Laba Festival is also a day of enlightenment for Sakyamuni and a Buddhist festival. Therefore, it is a good sign to pray for the blessing of God and Buddha on Laba Festival.