By Xianglong, Translated by Kan Zhong Guo Staff
In December of the lunar calendar, ancient Chinese people preserved food such as goose, pork and duck for the coming Chinese New Year. They held a ceremony called “Zha” (or “La”) to worship their ancestors. After the ceremony, they then held a big feast, invited their neighbors, and served porridge from newly harvested wheat and corn.
It is also said that the 8th of lunar December was the enlightenment day of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. He was the son of Buddhodana in ancient Kapilavastu of Northern India. Sakyamuni saw that all creatures in the world are subjected to the pain of birth, old age, illness and death, and therefore decided to give up his throne to rescue people from the pain of birth, old age, illness and death. After experiencing many difficulties, he found that all the other local groups and practices also could not solve that problem, and hence he was determined to find a way.
After six years of meditation at the bank of the Indian River, with only a very small amount of rice for his daily meal, Sakyamuni achieved enlightenment on the 8th of lunar December. Buddhism was later introduced to China, and people then made “Laba” porridge that was cooked with rice and fruits, on every 8th of lunar December, to remember Sakyamuni’s sacrifices for humanity.
The 8th of lunar December thus became a grand festival in China.
In ancient China, before the 8th of lunar December, all the major Buddhist temples would first clean their halls and scrub the items used in prayers. Next, the monks would beg for alms along the streets with their bowls. Then, all the collected sticky rice, red beans, dates, chestnuts, peanuts, gingko, lotus lily, etc., were mixed together into a copper pot, boiled overnight with a warm fire, and became porridge. On the next day, the cooked porridge would first be used to worship every Buddha and Bodhisattva statues in the temple. Monks chanted scriptures, played the octave drum, burnt incense and lighted candlesIt was a very solemn and grand ceremony.
After the ceremony, the monks and people shared the porridge. Later, “Laba” porridge became a custom of the Chinese people. Traditional “Laba” porridge was always made with eight kinds of ingredients, as the number “eight” also represents good fortune. During the bitter cold winter of lunar December, Chinese people enjoy a steaming bowl of “Laba” porridge.
From - http://en.kanzhongguo.com/culture_history/the_festival_of_chinese_winter_holiday_-_la_ba.html
Original version from http://zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2011/12/3/78997.html
