In the folk traditions of Jizhou, there is a custom of preparing “Laba porridge.” This porridge is made by simmering a variety of grains and ingredients—such as white rice, red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, longan, raisins, ginkgo nuts, shredded green threads, rose petals, red beans, and peanuts—in water until tender. People begin to gently stew it over low heat the night before; by early morning on the day of Laba, once the porridge is ready, they first offer it to the gods and honor their ancestors, then share it with relatives and friends, and only afterward do the whole family partake. Typically, they deliberately cook extra so that leftovers remain for the following days, symbolizing good fortune and embodying the wish for “abundance year after year.”

According to the “Record of Folk Customs of Jixian County,” the term “la” originally referred to hunting; during the agricultural off-season, people would go hunting and offer sacrifices to their ancestors and to Heaven and Earth. By the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the date for these rituals had been fixed as the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. In Jixian County, it is also customary among the local populace to pickle garlic on Laba Day.   According to the elders, the word “suan” in “Laba garlic” is a homophone for “suan,” meaning “to calculate.” On this day, merchants would settle their accounts, tallying the year’s income and expenses to determine profit or loss. Both outstanding receivables and payables had to be accounted for clearly—this was the essence of the “Laba calculation.”

As the saying goes, once Laba Day is over, the New Year is just around the corner. Laba signals the approaching Spring Festival, and as soon as the twelfth lunar month begins, people become even more meticulous—cleaning their homes, preparing New Year’s supplies, and gradually adorning every corner with lanterns and colorful decorations. The busyness and joy of the twelfth lunar month are palpable… It’s no less festive than the Spring Festival in the first lunar month.