The origin of the Laba Festival

Legend 1: According to legend, in the northern part of ancient India, there was King Suddhodana in Kapilavastu. He had a young son named Gautama Siddhartha. When he was 29 years old, he abandoned the luxurious life of the royal family and became a monk to practice Taoism. He learned yoga and practiced asceticism for 6 years. About 525 BC, one day under a Bodhi tree in Buddha Gaya, he became enlightened and founded Buddhism. According to historical records, this day happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Since he was a member of the Sakyamuni tribe, Buddhists later honored him as Sakyamuni, which means a saint of the Sakyamuni tribe.

It is said that before Sakyamuni became a Buddha, he practiced asceticism for many years. He was so hungry that he was as thin as a stick and decided not to do asceticism anymore. At this time, he met a shepherd girl who gave him milk to eat. After eating chylo, he regained his strength, sat under the bodhi tree, entered meditation, and became enlightened on December 8. According to the lunar calendar, December is the twelfth lunar month, so December 8 is called Laba. In the Han areas of China, this day is regarded as the enlightenment day of Sakyamuni, so Laba has become a Buddhist festival. After Buddhism was introduced to our country, temples were built in various places, and the activity of cooking porridge to worship the Buddha became popular. Especially on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, when Sakyamuni attained enlightenment, all temples would chant sutras and follow the Buddha's example. There is a legend about the shepherdess who offered milk to the Buddha before she became enlightened. She used fragrant grains and fruits to make porridge for the Buddha, which was called Laba porridge. This is the origin of Laba porridge.

Legend 2: There is an interesting allusion to the origin of Laba porridge. It is said that when Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty was a child, his family was very poor, so he herded cattle for a wealthy family. One day when I was returning from herding cattle, I was crossing a single-plank bridge. The cow slipped and fell off the bridge, breaking his leg. The old rich man was so angry that he locked him in a house and deprived him of food. Zhu Yuanzhang was so hungry that he suddenly found a mouse hole in the house. When he opened it, he found that it was a mouse's granary, which contained rice, beans, and red dates. He put these things together and cooked a pot of porridge, which tasted very sweet and delicious. Later, when Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he remembered this incident again and asked the imperial chef to cook a pot of porridge mixed with various grains and beans. The day it was eaten happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so it was called Laba porridge.

In fact, the history of eating Laba porridge in our country has been more than a thousand years. It first started in the Song Dynasty. On every Laba day, whether it is the court, government, monastery or people's homes, they must make Laba porridge. Ingredients used in the Ming Dynasty include glutinous rice, ginkgo, walnut kernels, chestnuts, etc. for cooking porridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became even more popular. In the palace, the emperor, empress, prince, etc. would give Laba porridge to the ministers of civil and military affairs and the attendant maids, and distribute rice, fruits, etc. to various temples for the monks to eat. Among the people, every family also makes Laba porridge to worship their ancestors; at the same time, families gather together to eat it and give it to relatives and friends. The famous Yonghegong Laba porridge, in addition to glutinous rice, millet and other grains, is also added with diced mutton and butter. The porridge surface is sprinkled with red dates, longan, walnut kernels, raisins, melon seeds, green and red silk, etc.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, December is called the twelfth lunar month, and the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is also called the "Laba Festival". "La", "Shuowen Jiezi" states that "La, three Xu days after the winter solstice, sacrifices to hundreds of gods", it can be seen that "La" was originally an ancient sacrificial activity held on the third Xu day after the winter solstice. "Customs" records: "Xia said Jiaping, Yin said Qingsi, Zhou said Dala, and Han changed it to La. La people are hunters, and they hunt animals in the fields to sacrifice to their ancestors." After a year of growth, various animals become fat. The hair is plump and beautiful. Farmers hunting it during the winter are used for sacrifices. It can be said that they get it in a wise way and use it at the right time. However, the date of the December Festival was not fixed at that time. It was stipulated that it should be held on the third Xu day after the winter solstice every year, and this day was called "Taiwan Festival". The designation of "Twelfth Day" as the "eighth day of the twelfth lunar month" every year began in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Zong Mao of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty clearly recorded in the "Records of the Years of Jingchu": "December 8th is the twelfth lunar month." Therefore, Laba day has become an important festival in the twelfth lunar month.

Laba porridge was cooked with red beans and glutinous rice in ancient times. Later, the ingredients gradually increased. Zhou Mi of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote "Old Wulin Stories": "Porridge made from walnuts, pine nuts, milk mushrooms, persimmon mushrooms, persimmon chestnuts, etc. is called 'Laba porridge'". To this day, people in the vast areas south of the Yangtze River, northeast, and northwest of my country still retain the custom of eating Laba porridge, but it is rare in Guangdong. The ingredients used vary, but mostly glutinous rice, red beans, dates, chestnuts, peanuts, ginkgo, lotus seeds, lilies, etc. are used to cook sweet porridge. There are also those that add longan, longan meat, candied fruit and the like. Eating a bowl of steaming Laba porridge in winter is delicious and nutritious, and can indeed increase happiness and longevity.

Legend 3: The Laba Festival comes from the custom of "red beans fighting ghosts". Legend has it that the three sons of Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors in ancient times, turned into evil spirits after their death and came out to frighten their children. In ancient times, people generally believed in superstition and were afraid of ghosts and gods. They believed that strokes and poor health in adults and children were caused by epidemics and ghosts. These evil ghosts are not afraid of anything but red beans, so there is a saying that "red beans beat ghosts". Therefore, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, porridge is cooked with red beans and adzuki beans to ward off epidemics and welcome good luck.

Legend 4: The Laba Festival comes from people’s memory of their loyal minister Yue Fei. At that time, Yue Fei led his troops to fight against the Jin Dynasty in Zhuxian Town. It was the severe winter of the ninth month. The Yue family army was suffering from lack of food and clothing, and was starving and freezing. People sent porridge to the Yue family army one after another. The Yue family army had a full meal of "Qianjia porridge" sent by the people, and the result was great. Return victoriously. This day is the eighth day of December.

After Yue Fei's death, in order to commemorate him, people cooked porridge with grains, beans and fruits every eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which finally became a custom.

Legend 5: Qin Shihuang built the Great Wall, and migrant workers from all over the world came under the order. They could not go home for many years, so they had to rely on their families to send them food. Some migrant workers live thousands of miles away from their homes and cannot get food delivered to them. As a result, many migrant workers starved to death at the Great Wall construction site. One year on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the migrant workers who had no food to eat jointly accumulated a few handfuls of grains, put them in a pot and cooked them into gruel. Each of them drank a bowl, and eventually they starved to death under the Great Wall. In order to mourn the migrant workers who starved to death at the Great Wall construction site, people eat "Laba porridge" every year on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month as a commemoration.

Legend 6: According to legend, the old couple lived a hard-working, frugal life and saved a large fortune. However, their precious son failed to live up to expectations and was not virtuous in marrying a daughter-in-law. The family fortune soon collapsed. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the couple was freezing and hungry. Fortunately, villagers and neighbors came to help and cooked a pot of "hybrid porridge" mixed with rice, noodles, beans, vegetables, etc. It means: "Eat a meal of mixed porridge and remember the lesson in your mind." This porridge helped the young couple change their bad habits and embark on the right path. They rely on diligent work to run the family and their lives are getting better day by day. The folk custom of eating porridge on Laba is popular among the people. It is a lesson that people follow to warn future generations.

Laba Festival Customs

Custom 1: Eating Ice

The day before Laba Festival, people usually use steel basins to scoop water to freeze, and then take it out of the basins when the Laba Festival comes. Ice and break the ice into pieces. It is said that the ice on this day is magical. If you eat it, you will not have stomachache for a year.

Custom 2: Eating Laba porridge

Laba porridge is also called "Seven Treasures and Five Flavors Porridge". The history of eating Laba porridge in our country has been more than a thousand years. It first started in the Song Dynasty. On every Laba day, whether it is the court, government, monastery or people's homes, they must make Laba porridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became even more popular. In the palace, the emperor, empress, prince, etc. would give Laba porridge to the ministers of civil and military affairs and the attendant maids, and distribute rice, fruits, etc. to various temples for the monks to eat. Among the people, every family also makes Laba porridge to worship their ancestors; at the same time, families gather together to eat it and give it to relatives and friends.

There are many different styles of Laba porridge in various parts of China. Among them, Peking is the most particular. There are many items mixed with white rice, such as red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, longan, hazelnuts, grapes, ginkgo, water chestnuts, black hair, roses, red beans, peanuts...the total is no less. Twenty kinds. People get busy on the night of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, washing rice, soaking fruits, peeling, removing cores, sorting and then starting to cook at midnight, then simmering over low heat until the early morning of the next day. I'm done.

More sophisticated people will first carve the fruits into human shapes, animals, and patterns, and then boil them in a pot. The more distinctive thing is to put "fruit lion" in Laba porridge. Fruit lion is a lion-shaped object made of several kinds of fruits. The crispy dates with the date cores removed and dried are used as the lion's body, half a walnut kernel is used as the lion's head, the peach kernel is used as the lion's feet, and the sweet almond is used as the lion's tail. Then stick them together with sugar and put them in the porridge bowl, just like a little lion. If the bowl is larger, you can put two lions or four small lions on it. What's even more exquisite is to use date paste, bean paste, yam, hawthorn cake and other foods of various colors to make statues of the Eight Immortals, the Longevity Star and the Arhat. This kind of decorated Laba porridge can only be seen on the altar tables of large temples in the past.

Meat and Laba porridge:

1. Boil 120 kilograms of potatoes and millet until half cooked, mash 20 kilograms of garlic and mix with Zhaofu brand original butter

2. Add 35 kilograms of winter melon slices, shredded cabbage, 25 kilograms of shredded green pepper, 15 kilograms of minced chicken, and 25 kilograms of minced chicken as ingredients

3. Add appropriate amount of water and condiments: MSG, salt, rice wine, Sichuan peppercorns, etc. and then simmer over low heat.

4. Cook until steaming and stop the fire for a few minutes, then simmer over low heat for about three times.

Custom 3: Eating Laba Garlic

Old For Beijingers, as soon as the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month arrives, the New Year atmosphere gets stronger day by day. In most areas of North China, there is a custom of soaking garlic in vinegar on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is called "Laba Garlic".

According to the old man, the word "garlic" in Laba garlic has the same pronunciation as the word "suan". This is the day when various businesses close their accounts and calculate the income and expenditure for the year to see the profit and loss. , including foreign debts and foreign debts, must be settled clearly on this day, which is what "Laba Calculation" is all about. On Laba day, a creditor who wants to pay a debt has to deliver a message to someone who owes him money, so he should be prepared to pay back the money. There is a folk proverb in Beijing: "Laba porridge and Laba garlic are the messengers for those who settle accounts; those who owe debts pay back." Later, some people who owed money to others used garlic instead of the word "count" to express taboo and avoid the word "count" for settling accounts. "The word, in fact, what you owe others must be paid back after all. As the New Year approaches in old Beijing, there are vendors selling spicy vegetables in the streets and alleys, but there are no vendors selling Laba garlic. Why is this? Think about it, you have to shout to sell Laba garlic. How to shout? Just shout "Laba garlic!" The debtor's heart skipped a beat when he heard the shout, why are there still shouts on the street to collect debts? Besides, who does you, a small businessman, care about? It’s good if people don’t settle with you, so you can’t go out to the streets to shout about Laba garlic. Every household makes the Laba garlic by themselves and calculates for themselves how they will spend this year.

To soak Laba garlic, you need to use purple-skinned garlic and rice vinegar. Peel off the old skin of the garlic cloves, soak them in rice vinegar, put them in a small jar and seal them tightly. Unsealed on New Year's Eve, the garlic cloves will be bright green, and the garlic will be fragrant with spicy acetic acid. Together, it is tangy and is the best condiment for eating dumplings. It can also be used in cold dishes and has a unique taste.

Why do you need to use purple garlic when soaking Laba garlic? The small purple-skinned garlic cloves are soaked thoroughly, the garlic cloves are hard and solid, and the garlic is crispy and fragrant. In recent years, purple-skinned garlic has become rare on the market. Use ordinary garlic and soak it. Although the cloves are large, they are not crispy and turn purple. What about those who grow garlic? Purple-skinned garlic has a low yield, and the harvest is 20% less than ordinary garlic. Who would grow it? Purple-skinned garlic is occasionally seen in the market. It comes on the market after the wheat harvest, and its price is one-third higher than ordinary garlic. Isn't this the same principle? If the harvest is small, it may be sold at a good price!

Why do you need to use rice vinegar to soak Laba garlic? The color of rice vinegar is light, and the color of soaked garlic remains as before, orange and emerald green, the taste is moderately sour and spicy, and the aroma is strong and slightly sweet. The old vinegar-smoked garlic will turn black after soaking in vinegar, the garlic cloves are not green enough, and the taste is poor. Especially the smoked vinegar has a slightly pasty taste. Maybe this is its characteristic. In fact, it is just a habit. It is not as delicious as you love to eat. Well!

Laba porridge food customs

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, folk custom calls it Laba porridge. It is the first festival before the Spring Festival. Since then, the "New Year flavor" has become increasingly intense. The custom of eating Laba rice porridge has been in our country for thousands of years, and it has a unique origin.

According to legend, in the northern part of ancient India, which is today’s southern Nepal, there was King Suddhodana in Kapilavastu. He had a son named Gautama Siddhartha. Suffering from all kinds of sufferings, illness and death, he found that social life was futile and was extremely dissatisfied with the theocratic power of Brahmanism. Therefore, when he was 29 years old, he abandoned the luxurious life of the royal family, became a monk, practiced yoga, and practiced asceticism for 6 years. , about 525 BC, one day under a Bodhi tree in Buddha Gaya, he became enlightened and founded Buddhism. According to historical records, this day happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar. Since he was a member of the Sakyamuni tribe, Buddhists later honored him as Sakyamuni, which means a saint of the Sakyamuni tribe. After Buddhism was introduced to our country, temples were built in various places, and the activity of cooking porridge to worship the Buddha became popular. Especially on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, when Sakyamuni attained enlightenment, all temples would hold sutra chanting and follow the example of the pastor. There is a legend that a woman would offer a kind of "chyle" to the Buddha before he became enlightened, and cook porridge to worship the Buddha. This is the origin of Laba porridge.

Volume 6 of "Mengliang Lu" written by Wu Zimu in the Song Dynasty: "On the eighth day, the temple calls it 'Laba'. Dasha Temple and other temples all serve five-flavor porridge, which is called 'Laba porridge'." At this time, Laba Cooking porridge has become a folk custom, but at that time, the emperor also used it to win over his ministers. Sun Guochi of the Yuan Dynasty wrote "Yandu Tour Chronicles" and said: "On December 8, all officials were given porridge, which was made of rice and fruits. The one who tasted more was the winner. This story follows the story of the Song Dynasty." "Yongle Dadian" "It is recorded that "on the eighth day of the month, which the Zen masters call Laba Day, we cooked sutra porridge to feed the Buddha and the monks." Every December 8th, major temples in Kaifeng, Tokyo will give away Qibao and five-flavor porridge, also known as "Laba porridge". Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo Menghua Lu" records that on the eighth day of December, various temples sent Qibao and five-flavor porridge for disciples to drink together, which was called "Laba porridge", also known as "Buddha porridge". Lu You, a great poet of the Song Dynasty, said in his poem: "Nowadays, Buddhas are feeding each other more porridge, but Juejiang Village is saving new things." It also talks about the delivery of porridge on Laba. Zhou Mi, a literati in the Southern Song Dynasty, wrote "Old Wulin Stories": "Using walnuts, pine nuts, milk, persimmons, chestnuts, etc. to make porridge is called Laba porridge."

In the Qing Dynasty, in the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725 AD) ) Sejong changed the residence east of the Imperial Academy in Andingmen, Beijing, into the Lama Temple. On every Laba day, in the Wanfu Pavilion and other places in the palace, he would cook Laba porridge in a pot and invite lamas and monks to chant sutras, and then distribute the porridge to the ministers of the palace. , taste and eat to celebrate the festival. "Guangxu Shuntianfu Zhi" also says: "On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month of each year, Yonghe officials cooked porridge, customized it, sent ministers to monitor it, and served it as a meal." Laba porridge is also called "Qibao porridge" and "five-flavor porridge." The earliest Laba porridge was cooked with red beans. Later, it evolved and became more colorful with local characteristics. Fucha Dunchong of the Qing Dynasty said in "Yanjing Years" that "Laba porridge is made of yellow rice, white rice, glutinous rice, millet, water chestnuts, peeled jujube paste, etc., cooked with water, and dyed with red peach kernels for external use. , almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, white sugar, brown sugar, and grapes for dyeing, which is quite characteristic of the capital city.

Tianjin people cook Laba porridge similar to Beijing. Those who are more particular may add lotus seeds, lilies, pearl rice, Italian rice, barley kernels, sticky rice, sticky yellow rice, kidney beans, mung beans, longan meat, Longan meat, ginkgo, red dates and sweet-scented osmanthus, etc., all have good color, aroma and taste. In recent years, black rice has also been added. This kind of Laba porridge can be used as a dietary therapy. It has the functions of strengthening the spleen, appetizing, replenishing qi, calming the nerves, clearing the heart, and nourishing the blood.

Shanxi’s Laba porridge, also known as eight-treasure porridge, is mainly made of millet, with cowpeas, adzuki beans, mung beans, jujubes, and sticky yellow rice, rice, glutinous rice, etc. In the southeastern Shanxi region, on the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, adzuki beans, red beans, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, peanuts, glutinous rice, persimmons, and water are used to cook porridge, also called sweet rice, which is also one of the food customs.

On the Laba Day in Northern Shaanxi Plateau, in addition to using a variety of rice and beans, various dried fruits, tofu and meat must be added to make porridge. It is usually cooked in the morning and can be either sweet or salty, depending on one's taste. If it is eaten at lunch, some noodles should be cooked in the porridge and the whole family can have a meal together. After eating, the porridge should be smeared on the door, the stove and the trees outside the door to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters and welcome a bumper agricultural harvest in the coming year.

According to folklore, it is forbidden to eat vegetables on Laba day, as there will be many weeds in the crops. People in southern Shaanxi eat mixed porridge during Laba, which is divided into "five flavors" and "eight flavors". The former is cooked with rice, glutinous rice, peanuts, ginkgo nuts and beans. The latter uses the above five raw materials plus diced meat, tofu, radish, and condiments. On Laba day, in addition to eating Laba porridge, people also use porridge to worship ancestors and granaries.

Gansu people traditionally cook Laba porridge with grains and vegetables. After cooking, it is not only eaten by family members, but also distributed to neighbors and used to feed livestock. In Lanzhou and Baiyin City areas, Laba porridge is cooked very carefully, using rice, beans, red dates, ginkgo, lotus seeds, raisins, dried apricots, dried melons, walnut kernels, green and red shreds, white sugar, diced meat, etc. After cooking, it is first used to worship the door god, kitchen god, earth god, and wealth god, and pray for good weather and abundant harvests in the coming year; then it is distributed to relatives and neighbors, and finally the whole family enjoys it. The Wuwei area of ??Gansu Province pays attention to "vegetarian Laba", eating thick rice, lentil rice or thick rice. After cooking, it is eaten with fried rice dumplings and twists. The folk custom calls it "lentil porridge soaked rice".

Ningxia people generally use lentils, soybeans, red beans, broad beans, black beans, rice, and potatoes to make porridge, plus "wheat ears" made of wheat noodles or buckwheat noodles cut into rhombus-shaped willow leaves. Or make the "bird's head" into a small round egg, and add green onion oil before taking it out of the pan. On this day, the whole family only eats Laba rice and no vegetables.

Although the majority of Xining people in Qinghai are Han, they do not eat porridge in Laba, but wheat kernel rice. Boil the newly ground wheat kernels with beef and mutton, add green salt, ginger peel, pepper, grass fruit, Miaoxiang and other seasonings. Simmer over a slow fire overnight until the meat and wheat blend into a chylo-like shape. Uncover the pot in the morning. The aroma is fragrant and delicious to eat.

In Shandong's "Confucian Food System", there are two types of "Laba porridge". One is made from rice kernels, longan, lotus seeds, lilies, chestnuts, red dates, japonica rice, etc., and is served in a bowl. Some "porridge fruits" are also added to it, which are mainly fruits carved into various shapes for decoration. This kind of porridge is specially eaten by the masters of the Confucius House and the Twelve Houses. The other type is cooked with rice, meat slices, cabbage, tofu, etc., and is given to the servants in Confucius' mansion.

Henan people eat Laba rice, which is cooked with eight raw materials including millet, mung beans, cowpeas, wheat kernels, peanuts, red dates, and corn. After it is cooked, some brown sugar and walnut kernels are added. The porridge is thick and fragrant. I wish you a good harvest in the coming year.

In Jiangsu, there are two types of Laba porridge, sweet and salty, and the cooking methods are the same. It’s just that salty porridge is made with vegetables and oil. When Suzhou people cook Laba porridge, they add mushrooms, water chestnuts, walnut kernels, pine nuts, gorgon seeds, red dates, chestnuts, fungus, green vegetables, enoki mushrooms, etc. Li Fu, a Suzhou scholar in the Qing Dynasty, once wrote a poem: "The porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was passed down from the Brahma Kingdom. It is a beautiful blend of seven treasures and mixed with five flavors."

Zhejiang people generally cook Laba porridge with walnut kernels, pine nuts, Gorgon seeds, lotus seeds, red dates, longan meat, lychee meat, etc. are sweet and delicious. Eat them to pray for a long life. It is said that this method of cooking porridge was spread from Nanjing, and it contains several legends.

Sichuan has a large population, so Laba porridge can be made in a variety of ways, including sweet, salty and spicy. Rural people eat more salty porridge, which is mainly made with soybeans, peanuts, diced meat, white radish and carrots. Foreigners come here to taste it. Although they follow the local customs, it is difficult to get used to it. Nowadays, many urban people eat sweet porridge, which can be said to have different flavors. Laba and porridge are closely related, and when you drink porridge in Laba, you can drink it in a variety of ways and at a high level.

How to make Hebei Laba porridge: Soak the big white cloud beans in advance (it is best to soak them the first night and use them the next day) until they are fat; use hot water to swell the white lotus seeds, remove the green core, and mix with the white cloud beans. Put the beans into the pot and cook for 20 minutes, then add rice, glutinous rice, wheat kernels, kudzu rice, jujubes and rice beans. Remove the hard shells and underwear from the chestnuts. Wash the above raw materials, put them into a pot, add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, until the porridge is thick, the beans are glutinous, and the dates are rotten. After the porridge is cooked, add honeyed osmanthus and brown sugar (or boil the brown sugar into syrup first and add it to the porridge) and mix well.

Features: Sticky, glutinous and soft, sweet and delicious, rich in nutrients and easy to digest. Eating this porridge for the elderly and infirm will help restore health. No matter what kind of Laba porridge, it has the functions of warming the stomach, moistening the intestines, tonifying the spleen, and clearing the lungs.

Chinese people love Laba porridge so much. Apart from food customs, there are indeed some scientific reasons. Cao Yanshan, a nutritionist in the Qing Dynasty, wrote "Porridge Book", which gave a detailed and clear explanation of the fitness and nutritional functions of Laba porridge. It regulates nutrition and is easy to absorb. It is a good "diet therapy" product. It has the functions of harmonizing the stomach, tonifying the spleen, nourishing the heart, clearing the lungs, It has the functions of nourishing the kidneys, benefiting the liver, quenching thirst, improving eyesight, laxative and calming the nerves. These have been confirmed by modern medicine. For the elderly, Laba porridge is also a beneficial delicacy, but they should also be careful not to drink too much. In fact, not only Laba, but also eating porridge is of great benefit to the elderly. There are also many varieties of porridge, which can vary from person to person. You can choose according to your needs and eat them as appropriate.

Laba Festival Folk Customs

Li Yongjun

It is said that the "Laba Festival" originated from the "Laba Festival" in ancient times. It is said that the ancients held sacrifices every year on the Laba Festival. Ancestor, offering sacrifices to the gods. According to legend in the religious circles, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is also the day when the Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. It was originally called the "Enlightenment Day". Since the Zhou Dynasty, the twelfth lunar month has been designated as the twelfth lunar month. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, major sacrificial activities were held in this month to pray for a good harvest, good luck and peace. It is said that there are eight kinds of gods in the "December Festival", so the eighth day of the lunar month was determined as a fixed festival day, which later became a custom.

There are many folk theories about the origin of "Laba porridge", and many interesting allusions have also been deduced.

It is said that in order to commemorate the day when the Buddha became enlightened on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, monks from various temples gathered to commemorate, chant sutras and perform Dharma on this day. And the rice, wheat, beans, grains and grains collected from all directions, as well as the collected dried fruits such as dates, chestnuts, walnuts, etc. were gathered together, and porridge was cooked in a big pot to make offerings to the Buddha. Then the monks enjoyed and practiced the Taoism. Results. If anyone comes to offer incense, the temple will give them porridge. Later, this move gradually became a good deed and has been passed down to this day. With the continuous spread of Buddhism, this activity spread from monasteries to secular people, and cooking "Laba porridge" gradually evolved into a folk custom. By the Song Dynasty, "Laba porridge" was widely popular. No matter the court, government, common people or even temples, they will cook porridge on this day to offer sacrifices to Buddha and ancestors, have family reunions and spend it together, or give gifts to friends to pray for good luck and peace. "Laba Festival" has not only become an important traditional folk festival, but the folk custom of drinking "Laba Rice Porridge" has also been passed down from generation to generation.

After Beijing was established as the capital, the old Beijing people had a deeper historical and cultural affinity for the "Laba Festival". It is said that there is also an allusion: Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was herding cattle when he was a child. When he came back, he was unbearably hungry and suddenly I found a mouse hole in the corner of the wall and wanted to catch a vole to satisfy my hunger. Unexpectedly, they took out a lot of glutinous rice, millet, wheat grains, peanuts and beans from the hole. So they had to wash these grains and cook them into porridge, and they had a good meal. Later, when he became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he ate all the delicacies from the mountains and seas all day long, which made him feel tired and upset. He also remembered the past of digging out rat holes to cook porridge when he was a child, so he ordered the palace chef to imitate it and invited all the ministers to taste it. Unexpectedly, everyone praised it. wonderful. This day happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so Zhu Yuanzhang named it "Laba Porridge". Later, there was also the custom of drinking "Laba porridge" among the people.

There are many descriptions of the folk customs of "Laba porridge" in the past dynasties. A poem called "Dala" in the Jin Dynasty wrote: "The story of the sun and the star is recorded by Dali Sichen. The Xuanxiang has been changed, and the common people have been updated. The annual affairs have been completed, and the eight La report the work. The Yihe River has been declared, and the year is good. "The ancients used the "December Festival" form to thank the gods for blessing them with a safe and happy life. An article in the "La Festival" collected by the Wei Dynasty in the Northern Qi Dynasty said: "The cold weather forces the Qing Dynasty to be held, and there are banquets and banquets. I can rest in my heart and comfort myself." This expresses people's feelings of worshiping and worshiping the gods in the middle of winter. The poet Lu You wrote in "Walking to the West Village on December 8th": "The wind in the twelfth lunar month has become spring-like, and I am passing by my neighbors because of the dispersion. In Chaimen, a desert with smoke and grass, there are many traces of cattle on the wild waterside. Medicine is the only thing needed for many diseases. "Nowadays, Buddha porridge is given to each other, and the village is celebrating new things." It vividly depicts that people give each other Buddhist porridge (ie Laba porridge) during the Laba day, and feel the fresh breath to welcome the coming of spring.

In the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court had the custom of giving porridge on Laba day. From the time of Emperor Yongzheng to the abdication of Xuantong, this festival was paid great attention to. Every Laba festival, porridge will be cooked in several large pots at the Lama Temple, lamas will chant sutras, and ministers will be sent to burn incense and offer sacrifices. Emperor Daoguang also held a "Laba Festival" event on the day of Laba. Various Taoist temples regard it as a good deed to give up porridge, and the common people use porridge to worship gods. Relatives and friends send "Laba porridge" to each other to increase their affection. "Records of the Years of Yanjing" records: During the Laba Festival in the Qing Dynasty, the Yonghe Palace prepared four large pots with a diameter of two meters and a depth of one and a half meters, which could hold several loads of rice. The first pot of porridge was given to the gods, the second pot of porridge was given to the queen mother and the emperor's family, the third pot of porridge was given to the palaces of the princes and young masters, and the fourth pot was given to the lamas. At that time, the porridge scene in the capital was very lively. There is a poem to prove it: "At the beginning of the first yang, Dalu is in the middle, and the grains and millets are cooked into porridge and beans. At the right time, I offer the Buddha's arrow with a sincere heart, silently wishing that the golden light will help everyone. The fragrant fragrance floats thinly, and the fruits and vegetables gather in piles.* **Taste the good food and reach the Samana, the color of the Samana is passed on to the lotus torch. Children celebrate the thirtieth birthday with a full belly, and they also beat wax drums on the streets." It is conceivable that during this festival, the people who give "Laba Porridge" to the royal family, ministers, and common people must be crowded with people, and the crowds are unprecedentedly spectacular.

In the early years, there was another allusion in old Beijing. It is said that "Laba Festival" is related to Zhuanxu, one of the five ancient emperors. After his three sons died, they turned into evil spirits who came out to scare children. Because people are very superstitious and afraid of ghosts and gods, they believe that all diseases are caused by epidemics and ghosts. However, these demons are not afraid of anything but red beans. Therefore, on Laba day, people cook porridge with red beans and red beans, which can dispel diseases and welcome good luck, which then led to the rumor that "red beans beat ghosts".

Old Beijingers have a special affection for the "Laba Festival". They are deeply influenced by the culture of the ancient capital. They have unique customs in inheriting folk traditions and constantly innovate in food culture. After long-term exploration, coupled with mutual communication inside and outside the palace, the ingredients and methods of "Laba porridge" have been continuously improved, and the style and taste of the porridge have become more and more exquisite.

The imperial cuisine added longan, lotus seeds, nuts, konjac, white fungus and other nutritional products to the "Laba porridge", making it a delicacy for winter nourishment. Ordinary people should also try to save more grains to make the "Laba porridge" taste sweet and delicious. People believe that drinking "Laba porridge" can dispel cold and warm the body, and replenish yang energy, which is good for health. And drinking "Laba porridge" is the threshold of the New Year. I remember when I was a child, in the middle of winter, I always looked forward to a delicious meal of "Laba porridge" made from new grains. The adults and children of every household are willing to gather on the hot bed to enjoy the joy and warmth brought by the hot family food. Although the cold wind in Beijing is biting in winter and "the jackdaws froze to death in Laba and Seventh Laba", after drinking "Laba Rice Porridge", people will throw the ice and snow outside into the clouds and forget about the cold. The strong human touch always warms the simple and hard-working people of the capital.

Old Beijingers have always attached great importance to the "Laba Festival" and regard it as a signal that the Spring Festival is coming.

There was a folk song circulated among the people in Beijing: "Old lady, don't bother, it's the New Year after Laba Festival", "Drink Laba porridge for a few days, it's twenty-three, after sending off the Kitchen God, it's the New Year". There is also a children's song circulating in Old Beijing: "Children, don't be greedy. After you eat the Laba rice, the sugar melons will stick to you immediately. I look forward to wearing new clothes, eating well, and being given lucky money in the New Year."

Passed. The "Laba Festival" marks the beginning of the Spring Festival, and happy things will unfold before us one after another. Women are busy doing needlework, making new shoes, embroidering pillows, cutting new clothes, and making plans for the New Year. Folk flower parties have also begun to be organized, and cultural activities have been stepped up. Although the "Laba Festival" season coincides with the severe cold weather, the citizens of the capital welcome the New Year with pride, and every household saves money and supplies to enjoy the good harvest of a year of hard work. A fiery heart warms a harmonious and happy home, making life full of infinite joy and warmth.

The old Beijing in my memory already has the atmosphere of the New Year in the twelfth lunar month. During the Laba Festival, market shops began to collect toys, snacks and other new year goods, and the number of products gradually increased. Many women start making small ground tofu, steamed buns and other foods in advance. They also take time to grind some bean noodles, yellow noodles, etc. to prepare for fried balls and steamed cakes before the Spring Festival. I remember that after dinner on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, my mother would always sort out the rice, millet, glutinous rice, corn, sorghum, red beans, and kidney beans, then peel the walnuts and almonds, and wash the peanuts and red dates for later use. , start to cook porridge in the evening of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. My mother is very experienced in cooking, so she puts the beans that are not easy to cook into the pot first. When the beans are soft and the soup turns red, add the grits, rice, and nuts to the pot and stir continuously. After about an hour, the thick aroma overflowed from the edge of the lid, making people salivate. When the porridge is cooked until it is sticky and thick, you can take it out of the pot and put it into an earthen basin for later use. In addition, my mother also steamed two drawers of white flour, jujube and gold cake strips. Put green and red silk and melon seeds on top, and use aniseed petals to dot lotus-shaped red dots, symbolizing good luck. In the evening, grandma and sister will peel the garlic and then soak it in a jar filled with vinegar to make Laba garlic.

At noon on the eighth day of the lunar month, my mother warmed the "Laba porridge" and "auspicious cakes" with brown sugar and white sugar, and served them on the Kang table. The whole family spent their time happily in the warm spring room. "Laba", let's enjoy the warmth and peace of the traditional festival together. After finishing the porridge, I went out with my sister carrying the can and delivered the specially prepared "Laba porridge" and steamed cakes to the homes of relatives and friends. The adults also prepared tea, sweets and candies to receive the relatives and friends who came. That kind of harmonious atmosphere was full of deep friendship, and I still feel warm when I think about it.