2. The historical origin of Laba Festival. Since the pre-Qin period, Laba Festival has been used to worship ancestors and gods and pray for good harvest and good luck. In addition to the activities of worshipping ancestors and worshipping gods, people also have to chase the epidemic on Laba Festival. This activity originated from ancient Nuo. One of the medical methods in prehistoric times was to exorcise ghosts and cure diseases. As a witchcraft activity, the custom of beating drums to drive away epidemics in the twelfth lunar month still exists in Xinhua and other areas in Hunan Province. It is said that the day of Buddhism founder Sakyamuni's enlightenment was also on the eighth day of December, so Laba is also a Buddhist festival, also known as the "Buddhist Enlightenment Festival".
Laba Festival is also called Laba Festival, Laba Festival, Wanghoula Festival or Buddha's Day of Enlightenment. Originally, in ancient times, people celebrated the harvest and thanked their ancestors and gods. In addition to the activities of worshipping ancestors and worshipping gods, people also had to chase away epidemics. This activity originated from ancient Nuo. One of the medical methods in prehistoric times was to exorcise ghosts and cure diseases. As a witchcraft activity, the custom of beating drums to drive away epidemics in the twelfth lunar month still exists in Xinhua and other areas in Hunan Province. Later, it evolved into a religious festival to commemorate Buddha Sakyamuni's enlightenment. The Xia Dynasty called La Ri "Jiaping", the Shang Dynasty "Qing Si" and the Zhou Dynasty "Da Wax". Because it is held in December, it is called the twelfth lunar month, and La Worship is called the twelfth lunar month. The twelfth lunar month in the pre-Qin period was on the third day after the winter solstice, and it was fixed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
In fact, it can be said that the eighth day of December is the origin of the twelfth lunar month. According to legend, the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, practiced in the deep mountains and sat quietly for six years. He was so hungry that he wanted to give up this suffering. He happened to meet a shepherdess and gave him chyle. He sat cross-legged under the bodhi tree after eating, and became a Buddha on the eighth day of December, and the "Buddha-to-Daoism Festival" was held to commemorate it. Believers in China are devout, so they merged with the "La Ri" to form the "Laba Festival", and also held a grand ceremony.
Local customs:
1, the custom of Shaanxi Laba Festival. After laba porridge is cooked, you should worship God and ancestors first. After that, you should give it to your relatives and friends, and you must send it out before noon. Finally, it is eaten by the whole family. The leftover Laba porridge, which is preserved after eating for a few days, is a good sign, taking its meaning of "more than one year". If you give porridge to poor people to eat, it is even more good for yourself. In some places that produce little or no rice, people eat laba noodles instead of laba porridge. Make minced meat with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and roll out the noodles. On the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the whole family eats together.
2. Customs of Laba Festival in Gansu. Traditionally, cooked laba porridge is made of grains and vegetables, which are not only eaten by family members, but also distributed to neighbors and used to feed livestock. Wuwei, Gansu pays attention to "Su Laba", eating rice thick rice, lentil rice or thick rice, and eating it with fried seeds and twist after cooking. Folklore calls it "bean porridge soaked".
3. Customs of Laba Festival in Xining. Laba Festival does not drink porridge, but eats wheat kernel rice. On the seventh night of the twelfth lunar month, the freshly ground wheat kernels are cooked with beef and mutton, with green salt, ginger skin, pepper, tsaoko, Miao Xiang and other condiments. After a night of slow fire, the wheat kernel rice is very fragrant and delicious.
4. Customs of Laba Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. People in Jiangsu eat Laba porridge in sweet and salty ways. Laba porridge should be added with Chinese wolfberry, water chestnut, walnut kernel, pine nuts, Gordon Euryale seeds, red dates, chestnuts, fungus, vegetables, Flammulina velutipes and so on. If salty porridge is cooked, just add vegetables and oil to it.