The Congee or Laba Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month, referring to the traditional start of celebrations for the Chinese New Year. La in Chinese means the 12th lunar month and ba means eight. The date usually falls in mid-January on Western calendars.

Legends about the origin of this festivity abound. One holds that over 3,000 years ago sacrificial rites called La were held in the twelfth lunar month when people offered up their preys to the gods of heaven and earth. The Chinese characters for prey and the twelfth month or La were interchangeable then, and ever since La has been used to refer to both. Since the festival was held on the eighth day of the Last month, people later appended the number eight, ba in Chinese, giving us the current Laba.
After Buddhism was introduced into China; it's also believed that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, became Buddha on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. When Sakyamuni was on his way into the high mountains in his quest for understanding and enlightenment, he grew tired and hungry. Exhausted from days of walking, he passed into unconsciousness by a river in India. A shepherdess found him there and fed him with some food, congee made with beans and rice. Sakyamuni was thus able to continue his journey. After six years of strict discipline, he finally realized his dream of full enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The Congee or Laba Festival is also known as a elebration for the harvest. It is recorded that the Laba Festival is originated from the ancient Chinese La Ceremony. As Laba is approaching the end of another year, people commemorate this day to worship gods who have brought peace and harvest to the people during the past year. They would usually hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the harvest which was called a La Ceremony.

Congee is a Holy Porridge

Ever since monks have prepared rice congee on the eve of the laba festival and held a ceremony the following day, during which they chant sutras and offer congee to Buddha though with the passing of time, the food itself became a popular winter dish especially in cold northern China. According to written records, large Buddhist temples would offer Laba rice congee to the poor to show their faith to Buddha. In the Ming Dynasty about 500 years ago, it became such a holy food that emperors would offer congee to their officials as an honor. As it gained favor in the upper class, it also quickly became popular throughout the country.

Congee or Laba rice porridge contains glutinous rice, red beans, millet, Chinese sorghum, peas, dried lotus seeds, red beans and some other ingredients, such as dried dates, chestnut meat, walnut meat, almond, peanut, etc. Basically eight ingredients are used, cooked with sugar to make the porridge tasty. Northerners prefer to use glutinous rice, red beans, dates, lotus seeds, dried long'an pulp, walnuts, pine nuts and other dried fruits in their porridge; southerners like a salty porridge prepared with rice, soybeans, peanuts, broad beans, taro, water chestnuts, walnuts, vegetables and diced meat. In the north, it is a dessert with sugar added; in the south, salt is put in. Some people like to add cinnamon and other condiments to add flavor. Controlling the heat is of great importance in making Laba porridge. At the start, the flame must be high, but the fire is then turned down to let the porridge simmer until it begins to emit a very delicious smell. The process is time-consuming but not complicated.

The ingredients are all very nutritious and serves as a remedy to keeping warm and healthy during the coldest period of the year. Just as nutritious to the Buddha, Congee or Laba porridge contains the nutrition people need with plenty of amino acids, protein, vitamins. Cooked nuts and dried fruit are good for soothing nerves, nourishing one's heart and vitality, and strengthening the spleen. Perhaps that is why it is also called babao or Eight Treasure porridge.

Besides cooking laba porridge people in northern China also make laba garlic and laba vinegar on the day of Laba. Housewives peel the garlic then put them in a big jar of vinegar. These jars are sealed on the Laba Festival and placed in somewhere dry and cold. When the Spring Festival Eve comes three weeks later, the family gets together to eat dumplings the laba garlic and laba vinegar will be used as seasoning. The vinegar soaked garlic take on a jade-like green color. The taste of both the garlic and the vinegar is so delicious and strong that it lingers on the breath for days.

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