In order to worship Sakyamuni and become a Buddha. Legend has it that before Sakyamuni became a Buddha, he traveled through famous mountains and rivers in search of the true meaning of life.

One day, he traveled to a deserted place. He was overtired from the long journey and had not eaten for a long time, so he collapsed from exhaustion. At this time, a girl herding sheep happened to pass by and saw Sakyamuni lying on the ground. She cooked the dry food she carried with her into porridge and fed him. Sakyamuni was saved.

Later, Sakyamuni sat quietly under the bodhi tree and realized enlightenment, attaining enlightenment and becoming a Buddha. This day happens to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. After Buddhism was introduced to China, in order to worship Sakyamuni and become Buddha, temples all over the country cooked porridge to relieve the poor on this day. Many celebrities and wealthy businessmen followed suit, and it gradually became a custom everywhere.

According to the "Meng Liang Lu" of the Song Dynasty, Dasha Temple and other temples all serve five-flavor porridge on Laba day, which is called "Laba porridge". During this period, cooking Laba porridge began to become a folk custom, and even the emperor at that time used it to win over his ministers.

In the Qing Dynasty, in the third year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign, Emperor Shizong changed the residence east of the Imperial College in Andingmen, Beijing, to the Lama Temple. On every Laba day, Laba porridge was cooked in a pot and invited to the Wanfu Pavilion and other places in the palace. Lamas and monks chanted sutras, and then distributed the porridge to the palace ministers to taste and eat to celebrate the festival.