The Laba Festival

The Laba Festival

The Laba Festival, celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, is a traditional Chinese festival with rich and long-standing customs. These customs are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and have been passed down through generations. Here are some of the main traditions associated with the Laba Festival:

1. Eating Laba Porridge (喝腊八粥)
Eating Laba porridge is the most well-known custom of the Laba Festival. Laba porridge, also called “腊八粥 (là bā zhōu)”, is a thick and nutritious porridge made from a variety of ingredients. Common ingredients include glutinous rice, millet, red beans, mung beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, dates, and various dried fruits. People start preparing the porridge early in the morning, slowly simmering the ingredients together to create a delicious and hearty dish. The porridge is not only a delicious treat but also symbolizes a bumper harvest and the hope for a prosperous new year. Families gather together to enjoy the Laba porridge, and it is also common to share the porridge with neighbors and friends.

2. Making Laba Garlic (泡腊八蒜)
In northern China, making Laba garlic is a popular custom. People select fresh garlic cloves and put them into a jar, then pour in vinegar and seal the jar. As time passes, the garlic gradually turns green due to the chemical reaction between the garlic and the vinegar. By the time of the Spring Festival, the Laba garlic is ready to eat. It has a unique flavor, with a combination of the sharpness of garlic and the sourness of vinegar. Laba garlic is often served with dumplings during the Spring Festival, adding a special taste to the traditional food.

3. Offering Sacrifices (祭祀)
In ancient times, the Laba Festival was an important time for offering sacrifices to ancestors and gods. People would prepare various offerings, such as fruits, pastries, and the Laba porridge itself, and place them on the altar. They would then burn incense, kowtow, and pray to the ancestors and gods, expressing their gratitude for the blessings and harvest of the past year and hoping for continued good fortune and protection in the coming year. Although this custom has become less common in modern society, it still reflects the Chinese people’s respect for their ancestors and the spiritual world in the past.

4. Preparing for the Spring Festival (准备春节)
The Laba Festival is often seen as the beginning of the preparations for the Spring Festival. After the Laba Festival, people start to get busy with various tasks to welcome the upcoming Spring Festival. They may clean their houses to sweep away the dust of the old year, buy new clothes, and stock up on food and other necessities. The atmosphere of the approaching Spring Festival begins to fill the air, and the Laba Festival serves as an important milestone in this process of getting ready for the most important festival of the year.

5. Laba Bean Curd Making (制作腊八豆腐)
In some southern regions of China, especially in Anhui Province, making Laba bean curd is a local custom. Laba bean curd is made from high-quality soybeans. The process involves soaking the soybeans, grinding them into a pulp, boiling the pulp, and then pressing it into a block. After that, the bean curd is marinated in a special sauce and dried in the sun. The resulting Laba bean curd has a unique flavor and can be used in various dishes. It is a special food that is only made during the Laba Festival period and is a local delicacy that people look forward to every year.

These customs of the Laba Festival not only bring a strong festive atmosphere but also reflect the Chinese people’s pursuit of a good life and their inheritance of traditional culture.