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"Are you Laba today?"
December 8 of the lunar calendar every year is commonly known as the Laba Festival. According to traditional customs, Laba porridge is served on this day, which symbolizes rich and abundance. It also represents the sharing of warm feelings through eating porridge and giving porridge. "Gratitude is the greatest power, and sharing doubles the warmth." In the West, there is Thanksgiving, and the turkey dinner on the table represents a good day of happiness around the fire. Today is the Laba Festival, which means the New Year is coming. Who will eat Laba porridge with you?
In order to convey the warm meaning behind Laba porridge, and to give more care and positive energy to the society through Laba Festival, a day to welcome the New Year. On the initiative of the people, from Taipei's Yongkang business district in the north to Hualien's Xiulin Township aboriginal tribes in the east launched the "Laba Thanksgiving Festival - Chinese Thanksgiving" event, hoping to spread gratitude through sharing Laba porridge. This concept of sharing is different from the "Ice Bucket Initiation" used by Western celebrities in the past to pay attention to people with ALS. It is also hoped that through public participation, everyone can express their gratitude through actions.
Is there anyone you want to be grateful for? Why not take advantage of this day to not only drink hot Laba porridge together, but also express your gratitude. If you happen to have the opportunity to visit the Yongkang shopping district next to Taipei MRT East Gate Station, some merchants will spontaneously prepare thousands of portions of Laba porridge from 4 pm to 8 pm and provide it to tourists for free in Yongkang Park. What’s even more special is that this event is for charity. There were also well-known artist guests at the scene who echoed the warmth. Not only will the celebrities personally attend the pop-up event, but they will also personally scoop out a bowl of Laba porridge to share their gratitude with tourists. Those who want to chase stars up close should not miss it. Or you can search for "Laba Thanksgiving Day" or "Chinese Thanksgiving Day" and share your gratitude through online sharing. After all, "A grateful heart can be exchanged for two feelings of joy."
"Today is Laba Festival, are you grateful?"
"Tips about Laba Festival":
Originally held as a festival on the eighth day of December in the Chinese lunar calendar, December is the twelfth lunar month and the day is on the eighth day( the pronunciation of eight of mandarin is Ba) , so it is called Laba for short. Especially in the "Book of Rites" written 2,500 years ago, it is said that "the twelfth lunar month is the time to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new." The original meaning of the Laba Festival is to offer sacrifices to ancestors and gods, to pray for a good harvest, good luck and to ward off evil spirits. In addition, Chinese Buddhism and Taoism also coincide with giving porridge and eating porridge during the Laba Festival, which means that at the end of the year and the beginning of the year, through charity, the coming year will be prosperous. This is folk customs.
"Tips on Laba Porridge":
Laba porridge also has names such as "five-flavor porridge", "seven-treasure porridge" and "eight-treasure porridge" due to different ingredients. In China's prosperous Tang Dynasty, it was even more popular due to its material abundance, especially to commemorate the enlightenment of Buddha Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, on this day, so it was even called "Buddha porridge". By the time of the Qing Dynasty in China, Laba porridge had a more beautiful and extensive meaning. Ordinary people trace their ancestral roots back to this place to worship their ancestors, Buddhist temples widely distribute porridge to poor families, and emperors and empresses even give it to ministers of civil and military affairs and famous Buddhist temples.
This kind of porridge-eating movement for all people, even the furry children and livestock at home have the opportunity to share it, which means that the livestock can prosper, and it is also a symbol of a prosperous New Year. The most top-notch ingredients for Laba porridge must be from the Imperial Palace. Use fine butter, diced mutton, whole grains, dried fruits, red dates, longans, chestnuts, peanuts, water chestnuts, walnut kernels, raisins, melon seeds and other fine ingredients to cook and plate it.
Generally speaking, rice, beans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, dates, chestnuts, etc. are cooked, and after being served, dried fruit-colored sugar is spread on top to make it colorful. In any case, Laba porridge is not only full of flavor, but also nutritious and natural. It is also a low-carbon product, which warms our body and mind. It is also a gift from Mother Earth.
繁體中文版 : 臘八節辭舊迎新 華人感恩節正夯
