Eating Laba porridge on Laba Festival means dispelling the epidemic and welcoming auspiciousness, praying for blessings, increasing the fortune of the five elements, accumulating blessings and cherishing blessings.
Laba porridge, also known as Qibao five-flavor porridge or Buddha porridge, is a porridge made from a variety of ingredients, including rice, millet, corn, barley, red dates, lotus seeds, peanuts, longan, and various beans. The custom of eating Laba porridge on Laba Festival has a long history, with rich cultural connotations and multiple meanings:
Celebrating the harvest:Laba congee is made with food from all directions and boiled together with rice, symbolizing the gathering of all things, the harmony of thousands of spirits, and the celebration of a good harvest of the year.
Pray for blessings: In ancient times, the emperor of the Son of Heaven would carry out a wax sacrifice on the Laba Festival, sacrificing to the god of the eight grains and stars, and celebrating the harvest; Pray for good weather in the coming year. The people should worship heaven and earth, ancestors, and gods, be grateful for the blessings of the past year, and pray for continued grace in the coming year.
Prosperity of the Five Elements Horoscope:According to their numerology and five elements, some people choose the ingredients they like from the five elements in the selection of Laba porridge ingredients, so as to increase their fortune.
Accumulate blessings and cherish blessings:It is said that Fushou porridge originally originated from Tianning Temple in Hangzhou, the monks in the temple dried the leftovers every day, and cooked the leftovers of the year into Laba porridge and distributed them to believers, called "Fushou porridge", saying that eating can increase blessings and longevity. Later, many temples also gave Laba porridge to believers on the day of Laba Festival, calling it Fushou porridge.
To sum up, Laba congee is not only a delicacy, but also carries people's wishes for health, harmony and auspiciousness, as well as expectations and blessings for the coming year. On this day, people share Laba porridge together, conveying warmth and caring feelings.