春节 chūn jié, the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year will be on February 10th 2024. The last and twelfth month of the Chinese calendar, is usually the busy month for the Chinese people to prepare this most important traditional festival.
The twelfth month is called 腊月 là yuè， La Month. 腊 là means to wax, to preserve in Chinese. Usually during this month, people prepare cured meat and sausage for the Chinese New Year festin.
The eighth day of the La Month is a traditional Chinese holiday 腊八节 là bā jié, Laba Festival. Before the Qin dynasty (221BC-206BC), the Laba Festival was a celebration of the new harvest. After Buddhism spread to China during the first century CE, the festival was also used as commemoration of Gautama Buddha's enlightenment at the age of 35.
Almost all the traditional festivals in China are linked to some special dishes. During 腊八节là bā jié Laba Festival, Chinese people eat and drink Laba porridge 腊八粥 Làbāzhōu. This porridge is very popular in many places in China, specially in the north. Different kinds of rice, beans, nuts and dried fruits are the main ingredients. People believe that it’s good for health in cold weather. Usually people use 8 ingredients to cook, 8 being the lucky number in China.
过了腊八就是年 guò le là bā jiù shì nián, after La ba festival then it will be New Year. Let’s start the CNY preparation !
The Video here below: People across China celebrate the tasty Laba Festival