Celebrating China's Laba Festival: Laba porridge sweetens prelude of Chinese New Year
Today (Jan. 7) is the Laba Festival, which is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the month of La (or Layue), the twelfth month of the Chinese calendar.
It is the beginning of the Chinese New Year period. It is customary on this day to eat Laba congee.
The original intention was to worship ancestors and gods, and pray for a good harvest, good luck and protection from evil spirits.
An old custom is beating drums to drive away diseases. This practice, which originated from ancient traditions of witchcraft, is still observed in places such as Xinhua, Hunan, China.
Traditionally, the consumption of Laba congee is an important element of the festival.
Laba congee or Laba porridge is very popular in many places in China. Different kinds of rice, beans, nuts and dried fruits are the main ingredients. People believe that it's good for health in the winter.
It is also known as "eight-treasure congee" and is usually made with eight or more ingredients, representing good luck. Eight is a lucky number in China, and the bain Laba also means eight.
There are many variations of Laba congee in different regions of China. Ingredients can include mixed grains, such as rice, millet, and barley; beans and nuts such as mung beans, azuki beans, lotus seeds, peanuts, walnuts, and chestnuts; dried fruit such as red dates, longan, raisins, and goji berries; and other ingredients such as vegetables and meat.
Another Laba food is Laba garlic, which is particularly popular in northern China.
Laba garlic is made by soaking garlic in vinegar, which is soaked in vinegar from the Laba Festival until Chinese New Year. The garlic and vinegar are then used alongside Chinese dumplings (jiaozi) around Chinese New Year.
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