Laba 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.

    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 their preys to the gods of heaven and earth. The Chinese characters for prey and the twelfth month 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 .

    The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge on the Laba Festival. The date usually falls in mid-January.

    臘八在陰歷最后一個月慶祝，標志者中國新年慶祝的開始。 "臘" 在漢語中意味著陰歷第十二個月，"八"意思是8.

    這個節日起源的傳說很多。其中之一認為三千多年前名叫"臘"的獻祭的儀式在陰歷第十二個月舉行，這天，人們對天神和地神供奉獵物。在那是漢字"獵物"和第十二個月"臘"是可以相互替代的，從那時起，"臘"一直用于指二者。

    由于這個節日在最后一個月的第八天慶祝，人們后來補充了數字8（漢語"八"）.因而有了現在的"臘八".

    絕大多數漢族人長期遵循在臘八節吃蠟八粥的傳統。這個節日通常在陽歷一月中旬來臨。

    本文介紹了有關臘八節的傳說、臘八粥的制作方法極其成分。有趣的是，中國的臘八節竟與佛祖釋迦牟尼有關。

    The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating laba rice porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. The date usually falls in min-January and is a traditional Chinese festival.

    Legend about the origin of this festivity abounds One maintains that over 3,000 years ago sacrificial rites were held in the twelfth lunar month when people offered up their prey to the gods of heaven and earth. The Chinese characters for the hunt and the twelfth month （lie and 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 eighth （ba in Chinese）, giving us the current laba.

    Buddhism was well accepted in the areas inhabited Han Chinese, who believed that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, attained enlightenment on 12/8. Sutras were chanted in the temples and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha. With time the custom extended, especially in rural areas where peasants would pray for a plentiful harvest in this way.

    There is, however, another touching story. 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 her lunch-porridge made with beans and rice. With such nourishment he was 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. Ever since, monks have prepared rice porridge on the eve ad held a ceremony the following day, during which they chant the sutras and offer porridge to Buddha. Thus, the tradition of eating laba porridge was based in religion, though with time the food itself became a popular winter dish especially in cold northern China.

    Laba porridge is made with local specialties such as ginkgo fruits, water chestnuts, chestnuts, lotus seeds and red beans in addition to the rice. Actually eight ingredients are used, cooked with sugar to make the porridge wonderfully sweet. Northerners prefer to use glutinous rice, red beans, dates, lotus sees, dried longan 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. Some people like to add cinnamon and other condiments to inject flavor. Controlling the heat is of great importance in the outcome. 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 avery delicious smell. The process is time-consuming but not complicated.

    Laba porridge is not only easy to prepare, but also a nutritious winter food because it contains amino acids, protein and other vitamins people need. Cooked nuts and dried fruit are good for smoothing nerves, nourishing one's heart and vitality, and strengthening the spleen. Perhaps that is why it is also called babao （Eight Treasure） porridge

    Laba Festival there are two legendary origin. Buddha Sakyamuni Buddha said that a move mountain cultivation. December eighth day that day because of hunger and fatigue Zaidao street, was a shepherdess found with large gruel saved so that he Dachedawu. Enlightenment and Buddha. One said that the Ming emperor Zhu Yuan-hour cattle to the rich because the rich bracket was broken off in a room, three days did not give anything to eat, he was unbearable hunger. Searched everywhere. Finally found a rat hole, dig out the beans, grain and other food, Zhu Chengyu consumption, find it very sweet.

    Later, the emperor made the emperor, thinking a child eat porridge and that the taste of Dayton, he ordered his eunuchs to use a variety of food cooked up a pot of sugar porridge, feast courtiers, after North Korea Wenwubaiguan emulated and passed civil society, Sui Cheng A holiday customs. By Zhu Yuan sugar porridge eighth day of the days of the twelfth lunar month, so this porridge is also called "laba porridge" of

    "Laba" is a grand festival of Buddhism. Before the liberation around the temple for Buddha's Birthday will be held prayers, and, like the Buddha into the Road, before the story of The Legend of chylous Munv Xian, with fragrant valley, fruit, etc. porridge worship Buddha, called "laba porridge." Laba porridge and will be presented to the disciples and the believers, it would be in civil Xiangyan into the vulgar. Some monasteries in the twelfth lunar month is said to eighth day before the hand-held by the monks alms bowl, street alms, will be collected rice, chestnuts, dates, nuts and other ingredients laba porridge distributed to the poor

    After eating legend could be the Buddha's blessing, so poor, it is called the "Buddha congee." Southern Song Dynasty, Lu You a poem that goes: "at the present Buddha congee is more relative to feed, and anti-sense Emura a new section of material." Hangzhou temples temple is said to store leftovers within a "stack of rice floor," usually every day the monks leftovers dried, plot a years of surplus grain to the lunar calendar laba porridge boiled eighth day he gave copies to his followers, known as "Fu-zhou" "Ford porridge," which means that after eating you can Zengfu Zengshou. It is obvious that the monks cherish the virtues of food.

    臘八節的由來有兩個傳說。一說佛祖釋迦牟尼成佛前進山修行。十二月初八這天因饑餓勞累栽倒路旁， 被一牧羊女發現，用大米粥救活，使他大徹大悟。得道成佛。一說，明朝皇帝朱元璋小時給財主放牛，因牛腿摔斷被財主關在一間屋子里，3天沒給飯吃， 他饑餓難忍。到處搜尋。終于發現了一個老鼠洞，從中挖掘出豆、谷等各種糧食，煮成粥食用，覺得非常香甜。

    后來朱元璋做了皇帝，想起小時候吃那頓粥 的味道，就命太監用各種糧食煮了一鍋糖粥，歡宴群臣，后朝中文武百官爭相效仿并傳入民間，遂成了一種節日習俗。因朱元璋吃糖粥的日子是臘月初八， 所以這粥也就叫"臘八粥"了

    "臘八"是佛教的盛大節日。解放以前各地佛寺作浴佛會，舉行誦經，并效仿釋迦牟尼成道前， 牧女獻乳糜的傳說故事，用香谷、果實等煮粥供佛，稱"臘八粥".并將臘八粥贈送給門徒及善男信女們，以后便在民間相沿成俗。據說有的寺院于臘 月初八以前由僧人手持缽盂，沿街化緣，將收集來的米、栗、棗、果仁等材料煮成臘八粥散發給窮人

    傳說吃了以后可以得到佛祖的保佑，所以窮人把 它叫做"佛粥".南宋陸游詩云："今朝佛粥更相饋，反覺江村節物新。"據說杭州名剎天寧寺內有儲藏剩飯的"棧飯樓"平時寺僧每日把剩飯曬干， 積一年的余糧，到臘月初八煮成臘八粥分贈信徒，稱為"福壽粥""福德粥"意思是說吃了以后可以增福增壽。可見當時各寺僧愛惜糧食之美德。

    Legend

    Laba rice porridge was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty about 900 years ago.

    Buddhism was well accepted in the areas inhabited by the Han Chinese, who believed that Sakyamuni, the first Buddha and founder of the religion, attained enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Sutras were chanted in the temples and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha. With the passing of time the custom extended, especially in rural areas where peasants would pray for a plentiful harvest in this way.

    There is, however, another touching story: 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 fainted away by a river in India. A shepherdess found him there and fed him her lunch -- porridge 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. Ever since, monks have prepared rice porridge on the eve and held a ceremony the following day, during which they chant sutras and offer porridge to Buddha. Thus, the tradition of eating Laba porridge was based in religion, 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 porridge 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 it to their officials during festivals. As it gained favor in the feudal upper class, it also quickly became popular throughout the country.

        傳說

    臘八粥在大約900年前的宋代首次引入中國。

    在漢族人居住的地區，佛教被廣泛地接受，人們相信第一個佛和佛教的創始人釋迦牟尼在第十二個月的第八天得到了啟發。佛經在寺廟了被吟誦，含豆、堅果和干果的粥用來供奉佛主。隨著時間的推移，這個風俗擴展開了，尤其是在鄉村地區，農民們以這種方式祈禱好的收成。

    然而，還有一個動人的故事：當釋迦牟尼在通向他尋求領悟和啟發的高山的路上，他又累又餓。由于幾天的行走而產生的疲憊，他在印度的一條河邊暈倒。一個牧羊女發現了她并喂他午飯，飯是由豆和米做成的粥。于是，釋迦牟尼能夠繼續他的旅程。

    經過六年嚴格的修行，他最終于十二月的第八天實現了他完全啟發的夢想。從那時到現在，僧侶們在前日準備米粥，在第二天舉行儀式，在此期間，他們吟誦佛經，并為佛祖供奉米粥。因而，吃臘八粥的傳統是以宗教基于宗教的，可是，隨著時間的推移，這種食物本身尤其是在寒冷的北方成為受歡迎的冬季食物。

    根據文字記錄，大的佛教寺廟會為窮人提供臘八粥，以表達他們對佛祖的虔誠。在大約500年前的明代，臘八粥成為如此神圣的食品，以至皇帝在節日期間向他的官員們提供。由于臘八粥在封建社會的上層階級中得寵，它也很快在全國流行。

    Laba Rice Porridge

    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. Actually eight ingredients are used, cooked with sugar to make the porridge tasty.

    Northerners prefer to use glutinous rice, red beans, dates, lotus seeds, dried pulp（果肉）, 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.

    Laba porridge is not only easy to prepare, but also a nutritious winter food because it contains amino acids, protein, vitamins and other nutrition people need. 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 （Eight Treasure） porridge.

       臘八粥

    臘八粥含糯米、紅豆、小米、高梁、豌豆、干蓮子和其它成份，如干棗、栗子肉、核桃仁、杏仁、花生等。實際上使用八種配料，加上糖使粥更可口。

    北方人更喜歡用糯米、紅豆、棗、蓮子、果肉、胡桃和其它干果做臘八粥。

    臘月初八喝"臘八"

    "臘八，臘八，凍掉下巴".這句俗語相信大家都聽說過，農歷臘月初八，被認為是一年中最冷的一天，而這天的習俗，是喝臘八粥。那么，"臘八粥"怎么說呢？

    Thelaba porridge is not only a yummy traditional rite in China to mark the laba festival but also a delicacy good for health.

    臘八節喝臘八粥是中國傳統習俗。臘八粥不僅好喝，對身體也十分有益。

    臘八粥，表達為"laba porridge";"la"即"臘",農歷12月就是"臘月",即"12th lunar month".臘八就

    是臘月初八，這天要喝的臘八粥也稱八寶粥，即"babao porridge（eight treasures）".

    臘八粥由多種食才熬制，但所用材料各地不同，主要成分包括糯米glutinous rice, 紅小豆red beans, 薏米millets, 大米Chinese sorghum 蓮子lotus seeds 棗dates 栗子chestnuts 核桃 walnut 杏仁almonds 花生peanuts 等。

    臘月初八，我國人民有吃臘八粥習俗。據說臘八粥傳自印度，和佛教始祖釋迦牟尼有關。釋迦牟尼本是古印度北部迦毗羅衛國（今尼泊爾境內）凈飯王的兒子，他見眾生受生老病死等痛苦折磨，又不滿當時婆羅門的神權統治，舍棄王位，出家修道。初無收獲，后經六年苦行，于臘月八日在菩提樹下悟道成佛。在這六年苦行中，每日僅食一麻一米。后人不忘他所受的苦難，于每年臘月初八吃粥以做紀念。"臘八"就成了"佛祖成道紀念日".臘八粥在古時是用紅小豆、糯米煮成，現在在中國各地臘八粥的花樣，爭奇競巧，品種繁多。

    Laba 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.

    Legends about the origin of this festivity abound. One holds that over 3,000 years ago sacrificial rites called "La "（臘） were held in the twelfth lunar month when people offered their preys to the gods of heaven and earth. The Chinese characters for prey （獵物） and the twelfth month （臘） 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 .