What activities do you usually have when you celebrate Laba in the north?

Legend has it that Laba Festival originated in ancient La Worship. It is said that every year in the twelfth lunar month, the ancients held activities to worship ancestors and gods. According to religious circles, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is also the day when Buddha Sakyamuni achieved enlightenment, which was originally called "Enlightenment Day". Since the Zhou Dynasty, the twelfth lunar month has been designated as the twelfth lunar month. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, this month, major sacrificial activities will be held to pray for a bumper harvest, good luck and peace. It is said that "La Worship" has eight kinds of gods, so it was decided that the eighth day was a fixed sacrifice day, which later became a custom. There are many sayings and interesting allusions about the origin of Laba porridge. It is said that in order to commemorate the Buddha's 80% Daoism Day in the twelfth lunar month, monks from various monasteries gather together to commemorate and recite scriptures on this day. Rice, wheat, beans, whole grains, and collected dried fruits such as dates, chestnuts, and walnuts are gathered together and cooked in a cauldron as a sacrifice to the Buddha, and then all monks enjoy the fruits of monasticism. In the case of pilgrimage, temples give alms with porridge. Later, this move gradually became a good thing and has been passed down to this day. With the continuous spread of Buddhism, this activity spread from temples to secular people, and cooking Laba porridge gradually evolved into a folk custom. In the Song Dynasty, "Laba porridge" was widely popular. Whether it is the imperial court, the government, the people or even temples, they will cook porridge on this day to worship Buddha and ancestors, for family reunion, or as gifts to friends, in order to pray for Geely's peace. "Laba Festival" has not only become an important traditional folk festival, but also the folk custom of drinking Laba porridge has been passed down from generation to generation. After the establishment of the capital Beijing, the people of old Beijing have a deeper historical and cultural affection for Laba Festival. It is said that there is also an allusion: Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor, herded cattle when he was a child and was starving when he came back. Suddenly he found a mouse hole in the corner and wanted to catch a vole to satisfy his hunger. Unexpectedly, I took out a lot of glutinous rice, millet, wheat, peanuts and beans from the hole, so I had to wash these miscellaneous grains, cook them into porridge and have a good meal. Later, when he became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he ate delicacies all day, and his mouth was tired and annoyed. He remembered the past when he was a child, so he ordered the court chef to imitate it and invited the ministers to taste it together. Unexpectedly, everyone said it was wonderful. This day happened to be the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and Zhu Yuanzhang named it "Laba porridge". Later, people had the custom of drinking Laba porridge. There are many descriptions of the folk customs of Laba porridge in past dynasties. The poem "Dala" in the Jin Dynasty wrote: "The sun shines, the stars record, and Dala Chen Si. The mysterious image is changed and the public is updated. One year later, Ba Wax reported diligence. Gaocheng is a river, young and strong. " In the form of "La Worship", the ancients thanked the gods for blessing a peaceful and happy life. The Northern Qi Wei Festival of Keeping Wax said that "the cold will force the Qing Dynasty to worship, and there must be a fine feast, so how can we comfort China?" It expressed people's feelings of offering sacrifices to the gods in the middle of winter. The poet Lu You wrote in "Walking in the West Village on December 8th": "The wind of the twelfth lunar month is spring, and I passed my neighbor because of my scattered strategy. In the desert of Chai Men, there are many cattle trails and wild seashores. The only thing many diseases need is medicine, and the poor objects are idle people. At present, the mutual feeding of Buddha porridge has made Jiangcun more frugal and brand-new. It vividly depicts people giving and eating Buddha porridge (Laba porridge) to each other in Latin America, feeling the fresh breath and welcoming the arrival of spring. In the Qing Dynasty, the court had the custom of Laba porridge. From Yong Zhengdi to Xuan Tong's abdication, they all attached great importance to this festival. Every Laba, in the Lama Temple, several cauldrons boiled porridge, lamas chanted scriptures and sent ministers to burn incense and sacrifice. Daoguang will also hold "La Worship" activities on the day of Laba. It is better for Taoist factions to abstain from porridge, and the people worship God with porridge. Relatives and friends exchange "Laba porridge" to increase their feelings. " The Story of Yanjing's Age contains: On the Laba Festival in the Qing Dynasty, the Lama Temple prepared four cauldrons, two meters in diameter and one and a half meters deep, which could hold several meters. The first pot of porridge is for God, and the second pot of porridge is for the Empress Dowager and her family. The third pot of porridge was given to the princes and small lords, and the fourth pot was given to the Lama. The scene of eating porridge in Beijing at that time was very warm. There is a poem to prove it: "the first sun is in Dalu, and the millet is cooked with porridge and beans." Present Buddha's arrow at the right time and sincerely wish the golden light shine on all beings silently. A few wisps of fragrance wafted, and piles of fruits and vegetables gathered in succession. * * * The shaman is the best, and the color of shaman is passed from the Lotus Torch to the Lotus Torch. Naive and full, they beat gongs and drums in the street. "It is conceivable that when giving alms to Laba porridge in this festival, the princes and ministers and ordinary people must be crowded, unprecedented and spectacular. In the early years, there was an allusion in old Beijing. It is said that Laba Festival is related to Zhuan Xu, one of the five ancient emperors. After the death of his three sons, they all became evil spirits and came out to scare children. Because people are superstitious and afraid of ghosts and gods, and think that all diseases are caused by epidemic ghosts, but these demons are fearless and afraid of red beans. Therefore, on the day of Laba, red beans and red beans are specially used to cook porridge, which can dispel the epidemic and welcome the auspicious, and then lead to the rumor that "red beans play ghosts". "Old Beijingers have special feelings for Laba Festival and are deeply influenced by the culture of the ancient capital. They have unique customs in inheriting folk traditions and constantly innovate in food culture. After long-term exploration and mutual communication inside and outside the court, the materials and practices of "Laba porridge" have been continuously improved, and the patterns and tastes of porridge have become more and more exquisite. The Forbidden City added longan, lotus seeds, nuts, konjac and tremella to Laba porridge, making it a delicious tonic in winter. Ordinary people should also save as much whole grains as possible to make "Laba porridge" sweet and delicious. People think that drinking Laba porridge can drive away the cold and warm the body, and supplementing Yang Qi is good for health. Drinking "Laba porridge" is the threshold to enter the New Year. I remember when I was a child, in the middle of winter, I always looked forward to a delicious "Laba porridge" made of new grain. Moreover, adults and children in every family are willing to gather on the hot kang and enjoy the joy and warmth brought by hot home cooking. Although Beijing's winter is bitter, "La Qibala freezes to death in western Western jackdaw", drinking "Bala porridge" will make people forget the cold outside. That deep human touch always warms the simple and hardworking Beijingers. Old Beijingers have always attached great importance to Laba Festival as a signal of the coming Spring Festival. There used to be a folk song in Beijing: "Don't worry, old lady, it will be the New Year after Laba." "I drank Laba porridge for a few days, walked 23 miles, and sent the kitchen god to celebrate the New Year." There is also a children's song circulating in old Beijing: "Son, don't be greedy, just eat laba rice, and the candied fruit will stick at once. I hope to wear new clothes and have a good meal during the Spring Festival, and some people give lucky money. "After the Laba Festival, the prelude to the Spring Festival will begin, and happy events will continue. Women are busy sewing, making new shoes, embroidering pillows and cutting new clothes to make plans for the new year. Folk flower fairs have also begun to be organized, and cultural activities have been stepped up. Although it is freezing in the "Laba" season, Beijing residents who are full of lofty sentiments and welcome the New Year have accumulated wealth and prepared for a bumper harvest after a year of hard work. A fiery heart warms a harmonious and happy home and makes life full of infinite joy and warmth. Old Beijing in memory, these years are the twelfth lunar month. On the day of "Laba Festival", market shops began to raise toys, snacks and other new year's goods, and commodities gradually increased. Many housewives will make bean curd and snacks in advance, and even take time to grind some bean noodles and yellow noodles before the Spring Festival to make fried meatballs and steamed cakes. I remember that after dinner on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, my mother always screened rice, millet, glutinous rice, corn rice, sorghum, adzuki beans and kidney beans, then peeled walnuts and almonds, washed peanuts and red dates for later use, and began to cook porridge on the seventh night of the twelfth lunar month. Mother is very experienced in cooking. First, put the beans that are not easy to boil into the pot. When the beans turn soft and red, put the stick, rice and nuts into the pot and stir constantly. About an hour later, the thick aroma overflowed from the edge of the lid, which made people drool. When the porridge is sticky, it can be taken out of the pot and put into the earthen basin for later use. In addition, my mother will steam two drawers of cakes and golden cakes with white flour and jujube. Put green and red silk and melon seeds on it, and point a lotus-shaped red dot with big petals to symbolize Geely's perfection. In the evening, grandma and sister will peel garlic and then soak it in a jar full of vinegar to make laba garlic. At noon on the eighth day, my mother heated "Laba porridge" and "auspicious cake" with brown sugar and white sugar and served them on the kang table. The whole family enjoys Laba in a warm room and enjoys the warmth and peace of traditional festivals. After drinking porridge, I went out with my sister and sent the specially prepared "Laba porridge" and cakes to relatives and friends. Adults also prepared tea and candy to receive relatives and friends at home. The harmonious atmosphere is full of deep affection and friendship, and it is still warm to think of it.