This is a beautiful implication, and I hope that you will be safe, healthy and prosperous in the coming year.
What kind of food is Laba congee? It is a multi-grain mixed porridge and is vegetarian. This needs to be traced back to how Laba Festival came to be and why we are vegetarian.
Laba Festival originates from the ancient farming culture of our country. Legend has it that in ancient times, in order to celebrate the harvest, people would hold sacrifices on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month to pray for a good harvest and good weather in the coming year. Gradually, this day became known as "Laba" and evolved into a traditional festival. The origin of the Laba Festival carries a heavy historical and cultural heritage, and I have to sigh at the wisdom of the ancients and the emotion of reverence for nature.
Coincidentally, Laba was also the day when Shakyamuni practiced enlightenment, and it was on this day many years ago that Siddhartha finally realized the path to liberation and the truth of the universe.
The custom of drinking porridge on the Laba Festival in the early days originated from the ancient farming culture. In an agrarian society, food is the most important thing in people's lives. Laba Festival coincides with the cold winter wax moon, and people need to eat porridge to replenish nutrition and enhance the body's resistance.
At the same time, Laba porridge means auspiciousness and happiness. In Laba porridge, various ingredients are rich and diverse, representing people's yearning and pursuit of a better life. The family sits around and tastes laba porridge, which symbolizes family harmony, happiness and well-being.
Later, the custom of drinking porridge on the Laba Festival had a certain intersection with Buddhist culture. According to legend, before the Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment, he was offered multigrain porridge by a shepherdess girl, so the Buddha set up vegetarian porridge on the day of Laba to support the monks. This story has also made the custom of drinking porridge on the Laba Festival to be passed down to this day.