Laba Festival: Time for rice porridge and garlicky treats

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Sunday marks the Laba Festival in China, which is also called the Laba Porridge Festival. It is celebrated on the 8th day of the last month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and is a prelude to the Chinese Spring Festival.

The Laba Festival is traditionally a time for ritual worship of ancestors and gods, and praying for a good harvest and good fortune.

The festival was later influenced by Buddhism, and the eighth day of the last lunar month was set during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589) to celebrate it, coinciding with the enlightenment day of Buddha.

The tradition of eating Laba porridge during the festival can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). From the imperial court to ordinary people, cooking the porridge was a seasonal must. They not only cooked the dish for their own family members but also sent it to others as a gift.

Laba porridge is also called "eight treasure porridge" as it contains eight kinds of ingredients, including rice, red dates, beans and dried nuts. The ingredients can range from place to place, but red beans are always included. In China, the color red is said to bring good luck.

Another Chinese custom is to make Laba garlic on this day. And it's pretty simple: all you need is garlic, vinegar and sugar.