Laba Festival

    In China, the twelfth month of the lunar calendar (阳历) is called layue. The month is full of ingesting festivals and customs.

    Laba Festival, which falls on the eighth day of layue, is the first festival in this month. From his day on, people begin to get ready for the Chinese New Year

    On Laba Festival, people ofen eat hot Laba porridge. There are usually eight things in the porridge: rice, red beans, peas, dried lotus seeds (莲子), dates (红枣), and three different kinds of fruits and nuts. The porridge is not just good for your health, but best wishes for the coming of the Chinese New Year.

    Laba porridge is not the only tasty food in layue. Laba garlic (蒜) is popular in the north. People begin to soak (浸泡) garlic in vinegar (醋)from that day on, and haveitwith dumplings during the Chinese New Year. While in the south, people like making sausages.