The meaning of Laba porridge mainly covers the following points:

1. Get rid of epidemic diseases and welcome auspiciousness. In the past, there was a custom of using red beans to fight ghosts. In order to deal with the troubles of epidemic ghosts, so on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, I can cook Laba porridge with red beans.

2. Don’t forget to maintain the virtue of diligence and frugality, and look forward to having enough food and clothing in the coming year. According to legend, a young man in the Western Jin Dynasty was fond of eating and was too lazy to cook. Later, he changed his ways and cooked porridge every time during Laba.

3. It is a blessing to others and a merit to yourself. Buddha porridge also represents health and good luck. Rich families or temples will cook porridge and distribute it to the poor.

According to legend, the Buddha Sakyamuni practiced for many years but still achieved nothing. One day he jumped into the river to clear his head. After bathing, he could no longer crawl back to the shore. At this time, a woman named Suyada passed by and pulled him ashore. Suyada also gave him a bowl of porridge made of rice, chestnuts, etc. After eating it, the Buddha became energetic and came to the bodhi tree to awaken. This day happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. From then on, Buddhist disciples called the eighth day of December the "Buddha Enlightenment Day". On this day, temples would distribute gruel to the world. Affected by this, the folk gradually formed the custom of eating Laba porridge during the Laba Festival.