Don't be greedy, children. It's new year after Laba. That is to say, after Laba, the Lunar New Year is not far away. Laba Festival is the most important festival in the lunar month, which is called "Laba day" in ancient times, that is, we often say "Laba day" in Shaanxi. There are many folk customs in Laba day. Let's get to know.
Xi'an: eating Laba porridge
On the day of Laba, porridge is of course the most important. In order to commemorate the Buddha's success, most temples in Xi'an also send porridge on the scene on the day of Laba, praying that all the people in the world will bathe in auspiciousness, share the Buddha's grace and enjoy the Dharma together. At five or six o'clock in the morning, Xi'an citizens will line up at the gate of Daxing Shansi and Guangren temple. The temple will set up a special place to give Laba porridge and drink a bowl of hot Laba porridge. The new year is getting closer and closer.
Ankang: boiled five beans
Ankang's custom is to cook five beans in the early morning of the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. It is necessary to mix grains and beans such as corn, wheat, rice, peas, and soybeans together to cook and eat. More than five kinds of materials can be gathered, and more should be cooked. From the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, you should mix a little to eat every day until the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
"Cooking five beans" means that there is a good harvest year after year, and "eating five beans" means enjoying the fruits of hard work in the past year.
Guanzhong: spicy noodles with oil
In Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province, there is no porridge in Laba Festival. Every morning on the eighth day of the lunar month, every family has to eat a bowl of Laba noodles. With noodles and various beans (red beans for living) as raw materials, noodles need to be made into leek leaves for standby; red beans are soaked one night in advance, and Laba is used to cook soup on that day. When the water is boiled, turn the small fire to the cooked red beans, and cook noodles in medium fire. At the same time, the cooked oil will stir fry the onion. After the noodles are cooked, pour the onion oil into the pot.
Yulin: Braised rice
The Laba porridge, also known as stewed rice, is eaten by people in the old city of Yulin during the Laba Festival. The so-called "stewed rice" is a kind of rice eaten without the sun coming out, which is homophonic with "dream". Generally, it is mainly made of soft yellow rice, which is a specialty of Northern Shaanxi Province. Add mung beans, cowpeas, five flower beans and other kinds of beans, and put the washed and sliced pumpkin, sugar, raisins and other Adulterated into the pot. When the stewed rice is fully cooked and sticky, pour the oil in the pot. When the oil is hot, pour it into the stewed rice pot, mix it evenly and then it can be eaten.
Baoji: Mudan rice
In the countryside of Longxian County in Baoji area, buckwheat dumplings are mixed in Laba porridge, commonly known as "queertou", which is a special flavor food of the festival. At five o'clock this day, local farmers do not see the sun and knock out big ice blocks and put them on the dunghill, which is called "stacking ice dogs". It is said that this can avoid crop diseases and insect pests; People in Yan'an area celebrate Laba Festival. Their breakfast is made of raised wheat noodles, which are shaped into bird heads, tadpoles, snake tails, etc. when the sticky rice made of soft rice is cooked, it is put in and eaten after it is cooked, which is called eating 'silly rice'.
When winter comes, will spring be far behind? When Laba comes, will spring festival be far behind?