1. Origin

The Laba Festival falls on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year. The main custom is "drinking Laba porridge". Laba Festival is one of the grand Buddhist festivals. According to Buddhist records, Sakyamuni practiced asceticism for many years before he became enlightened, and his body was broken and his bones were broken. Then he discovered that asceticism was not the path to ultimate liberation, and decided to give up asceticism. At this time, he met a shepherd girl who presented him with milk. After eating, he regained his strength, sat under the bodhi tree and meditated, and became enlightened on December 8. To commemorate this event, Buddhists held a ceremony on this day and cooked porridge with rice and fruits as offerings to the Buddha. Wu Zimu's "Meng Liang Lu" of the Southern Song Dynasty records: "On the eighth day of this month, temples call it Laba. Temples such as Dasha and other temples all serve five-flavor porridge, which is called Laba porridge." Since Buddhism was introduced to China, various temples have made it with fragrant grains and fruits. Make porridge and give it to disciples and good men and women. On Laba day, various temples hold Dharma gatherings, imitating the allusion of shepherdess offering chyle before the Buddha became enlightened. They cook porridge with fragrant grains and fruits to offer to the Buddha, which is called Laba porridge. Legend has it that after drinking this kind of porridge, you can get the blessing of Buddha. Therefore, Laba porridge is also called "Fushou porridge", "Fortune porridge" and "Buddha porridge". "Laba" was originally a Buddhist festival, but it evolved over the generations and gradually became a well-known folk festival.

2. The origin and legend of the Laba Festival

(1) Legend 1:

The Laba Festival is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (December) and originated from At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it is said that when Zhu Yuanzhang was imprisoned and suffered in prison, it was a cold day, cold and hungry, and he dug out some seven or eight kinds of whole grains such as red beans, rice, and red dates from the mouse hole in the prison. Zhu Yuanzhang cooked these things into porridge. Because it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang nicknamed this pot of multi-grain porridge Laba porridge. Enjoyed a wonderful meal. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang settled the world and became emperor from the north to the south. In order to commemorate that special day in prison, he designated this day as the Laba Festival and officially named the whole grain porridge he ate that day Laba porridge.

(2) Legend 2:

The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, was originally the son of King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu in northern India (now in Nepal). Suffering from the pain of life, old age, illness and death, and dissatisfied with the theocratic rule of Brahman at that time, he gave up the throne and became a monk to practice Taoism. There was no harvest at first, but after six years of asceticism, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, he enlightened and became a Buddha under the bodhi tree. During these six years of asceticism, he only ate one hemp and one meter a day. Later generations will not forget his suffering and eat porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month as a commemoration. "Laba" has become the "Anniversary of Buddha's Enlightenment". "Laba" is a grand Buddhist festival. Before the liberation, Buddhist temples in various places held Buddha bathing meetings, chanted sutras, and followed the legend of the shepherdess offering chyle before Sakyamuni attained enlightenment. They used fragrant grains, fruits, etc. to cook porridge for the Buddha, which was called "Laba porridge." He gave Laba porridge to his disciples and faithful men and women, and it became a custom among the people. It is said that before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, in some temples, monks hold alms bowls and go along the streets to make alms, and cook the collected rice, chestnuts, dates, nuts and other materials into Laba porridge and distribute it to the poor. Legend has it that after eating it, you can get blessings from the Buddha, so the poor call it "Buddha porridge".