On the eighth day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, it is the sacred moment of the enlightenment of the Buddha Shakyamuni. Legend has it that on this day, the Buddha suffered from hunger, but fortunately the shepherdesss offered rice porridge to achieve the Buddha's path. In order to commemorate this great occasion, the folk have the tradition of cooking porridge in Laba. The monks in the monastery not only cook porridge, but also have an indispensable ritual, which is chanting sutras and praying for blessings. In the Hehuang region of Qinghai, people use peeled wheat to make laba porridge, which is called "wheat kernel". Since Qinghai does not produce rice, this practice of adapting measures to local conditions has spread. Some families will mash the wheat to make it into kernels. Even more interestingly, people in the countryside would dig a pit in the ice, put wheat in it, and mash it with a pestle or hammer. Half an hour later, the wheat husk was basically detached, and when he returned home, he was gone, and only the white kernels were left. 
When cooking wheat kernel porridge, people will add various spices such as Sichuan pepper, Daxiang, ginger skin, etc., and also add pork or mutton to enhance the flavor. After boiling, the wheat kernel porridge is full of flavor and mouth-watering. In addition to eating it on the day of Laba, people will continue to enjoy this delicacy during the Chinese New Year. Nowadays, roast mutton stalls can be seen selling wheat kernel porridge on the streets of towns and cities on the Qinghai Plateau, and many city dwellers are nostalgic for their childhood rural life and often taste this delicacy, while some tourists from other places are also attracted by its deliciousness. In the early morning of Laba Festival, people will also go to the river and spring to smash ice and carry home, which is called "Laba Ice". Whoever hits the ice first is said to have good luck. Every year, during the Laba Festival, people get up early and brave the cold or snowflakes to hit the ice, leaving a series of footprints on the snow. The hard-working farmers also put pieces of land in their fields, hoping for abundant rain and a bumper grain harvest in the coming year. The old people look at the bubbles and lines in the ice to see the next year's harvest. 
Legend has it that Laba Ice has miraculous effects and can cure all kinds of diseases. The fetched ice needs to be stored for a period of time so that the children can enjoy eating the ice to their heart's content. Adults will also taste this delicacy, and no matter how you eat it, you won't have diarrhea. On this day, people not only enjoy the delicious wheat kernel porridge and laba ice, but also place their hopes for a bumper harvest in the coming year and the yearning for a better life. Search Topic Full Time Challenge in February