Where did Laba porridge originate from? Why do we drink Laba porridge?

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, there is a custom of eating Laba porridge, which is also called "Seven Treasures and Five Flavors Porridge". The history of eating Laba porridge in my country has been more than a thousand years. From the perspective of current health preservation, the ingredients in Laba porridge are very nutritious. In the folk, every household also makes Laba porridge to worship their ancestors; at the same time, the family gathers together to eat it and give it to relatives and friends. Let's find out with you where Laba porridge originated from?

Contents of this article

1. Where did Laba porridge originate from?

2. Why should we drink Laba porridge?

3. The meaning of Laba porridge

Where did Laba porridge originate from?

According to existing records, Laba porridge originated from Buddhism in ancient India. In order to commemorate the sufferings of Sakyamuni before his enlightenment, the ancient Indians would eat mixed porridge on the day of the Buddha's enlightenment. After Buddhism was introduced to China, Laba porridge was gradually popularized in the Song Dynasty and has continued to this day.

According to ancient records, Laba porridge originated in the Song Dynasty in China. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household, from court officials to ordinary people, would cook Laba porridge to drink.

The popularity of Laba porridge reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and many Laba porridges with local characteristics appeared. The famous Lama Temple Laba porridge was modified in the Qing Dynasty according to the customs of the Manchu people, with diced mutton and cream added to the porridge.

Why should we drink Laba porridge?

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, there is a custom of eating Laba porridge, which is also called "seven treasures and five flavors porridge". It is said that Laba porridge was introduced from India. The founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, was the son of King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu in northern ancient India (in Nepal today). He saw that all living beings were suffering from birth, old age, sickness and death, and was dissatisfied with the theocratic rule of the Brahmans at the time, so he gave up the throne and became a monk. At first, he had no harvest, but after six years of asceticism, he realized the truth and became a Buddha under the Bodhi tree on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. During these six years of asceticism, he only ate one grain of hemp and one grain of rice every day. Later generations did not forget his suffering, and ate porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month every year to commemorate him.

The history of eating Laba porridge in my country has been more than a thousand years. It started as early as the Song Dynasty. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the imperial court, government offices, temples and ordinary people would make Laba porridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of eating Laba porridge became even more popular. In the palace, the emperor, empress, princes, etc. would give Laba porridge to civil and military ministers, attendants and palace maids, and distribute rice and fruits to various temples for monks to eat. In the folk, every household would also make Laba porridge to worship their ancestors; at the same time, the family would gather together to eat it and give it to relatives and friends.

The meaning of Laba porridge

In folk culture, after Laba porridge is cooked, people first offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors. Then they give it to relatives and friends, and they must send it out before noon. Finally, the whole family eats it. If the leftover Laba porridge is saved and eaten for a few days, it is a good sign, which means "abundance every year".

Laba porridge also has a magical effect in folk culture. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, people cook porridge with red beans to get rid of diseases and welcome good luck. Especially if there are flowers and fruit trees planted in the yard of the house, some Laba porridge should be applied on the branches.

From the perspective of current health preservation, the ingredients in Laba porridge are very nutritious. A Chinese medicine jingle: If you want good skin, add red dates to the porridge; if you don’t want to suffer from insomnia, add white lotus to the porridge; if you have backache and kidney deficiency, add chestnuts to the porridge; if you have weak heart and insufficient qi, add longan meat to the porridge; if you have dizziness and excessive sweating, add coix seeds to the porridge; if you want to moisten the lungs and relieve coughs, add lilies to the porridge; if you want to blacken your hair and nourish the kidneys, add walnut kernels to the porridge; if you want to lower blood pressure, add lotus leaves to the porridge; if you want to strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, add hawthorn to the porridge; if you have many dreams and forgetfulness, add egg yolks to the porridge. Therefore, everyone must remember to drink Laba porridge.