China News Service Client, Beijing, January 10 (Reporter Shangguan Yun) In the blink of an eye, it is another year of Laba Festival.

Drink Laba porridge, make some Laba garlic... About this festival, everyone may have their own memories.

　　Folklore expert Wang Juan recently said in an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com that people often eat Laba porridge, Laba noodles, etc. on Laba Festival, and they also drink "Laba wine" in some places.

The Laba Festival is here, and the Chinese New Year's curtain has begun.

Is Laba Festival related to the custom of "La Festival"?

　　The Laba Festival, which is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year, is also known as the "Buddha Enlightenment Festival".

Data map: On the day of Laba Festival, the staff of Lama Temple cooked Laba porridge and distributed it for free.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan

　　There is also a saying that in ancient China, some places had the custom of "la sacrifice" related to "la" very early, the time was in the twelfth lunar month, and the specific date was not fixed. one.

　　During the Laba Festival, many places have the custom of drinking Laba porridge.

After several evolutions, the content of Laba porridge has gradually enriched.

The Southern Song Dynasty literati Zhou Mi wrote "Wulin Old Stories" and said: "Use walnuts, pine nuts, milk tan, persimmons, chestnuts and the like to make porridge, which is called Laba porridge." 

　　Of course, when cooking Laba porridge, the materials used by people in different places may be slightly different, but they basically include rice, millet, glutinous rice, etc., plus red beans, peanuts or raisins.

　　"There are several theories about the origin of Laba porridge." Wang Juan introduced that there is a story that tells people to be "diligent and thrifty" in life. "It is said that there was a man who wasted a lot of food, and the people around him felt it was a pity. , and quietly put it away."

　　Beans, rice... There are various types of grains that are collected.

At the end of the year, the person who wasted food had no rice to cook at home, so he put the accumulated food together to cook porridge.

Since then, the family has also learned the importance of cherishing food.

　　"In some places, some mushrooms or vegetables are added to Laba porridge. But in general, there are more ingredients used to cook Laba porridge, and there are more than ten kinds. ' she said.

Besides drinking Laba porridge, what other customs are there?

　　Including various dietary customs such as drinking Laba porridge, Laba Festival may carry warm memories of many people.

　　An old Beijinger once recalled that when he was a child, he usually cooked Laba porridge around 4:00 a.m. on the day of the Laba Festival. Put a little green silk, red silk, or red and white sugar in the porridge. After three or four hours, the cooked porridge was sweet and delicious.

Data map: The staff arranges the customized Laba porridge neatly.

Photo by Yang Bo

　　"The elders in the family used to be very serious about the Laba Festival. They would prepare Laba porridge for everyone, and they had to soak the Laba garlic in advance, which was more ceremonial." Speaking of the experience of the Laba Festival, Ms. Cheng told reporters like this.

　　Indeed, on the Laba Festival, there are also Laba garlic, Laba noodles and other symbolic foods.

People choose the best garlic, soak it in vinegar, and when the dumplings are eaten on New Year's Eve, the garlic has turned beautiful green.

　　"In addition, there is a saying that garlic and 'calculate' are homophonic, which also reminds people that the end of the year is approaching, and there are arrears or account profits and losses, and they must be calculated in time." Wang Juan said that in some places, Laba Festival will be held on this day. Drink "Laba wine".

Everyone is the "carrier" of traditional festivals

　　As the saying goes, "Children, don't be greedy, after Laba is the New Year." The arrival of this festival means that the New Year is approaching, and people are busy preparing for the Spring Festival.

　　"Traditional festivals provide people with a channel for families to connect with each other and maintain family affection." Wang Juan believes that in the process of preparing for the festival or during the festival, people deepen the traditional concept of "family" and feel a strong sense of warmth.

　　The understanding of seasonal food, folk customs, or traditional cultural knowledge is also achieved through traditional festivals.

In Wang Juan's view, we should pay attention to traditional festivals, and feel the value and meaning behind the festivals through festivals.

　　She believes that it is necessary to pay attention to the current people's spiritual and life needs, and integrate traditional festivals into modern people's lives. "Each of us is actually a 'carrier' of these festivals and inheritors of excellent traditional culture." (End)