Laba臘八

A day for Laba porridge, the prelude to the new year.

When
Eighth day of the twelfth lunar month
臘八

十二月八日為臘日。

Jing Chu Sui Shi Ji

What it is

An old record calls this the La day, when villagers beat drums and wore masks to drive off disease.

A Qing book on Beijing lists the porridge in detail: several grains, chestnuts and beans, topped with nuts and sugar.

Coming dates

Worked out from the lunar calendar in China time.

  1. 2026Mon 26 January
  2. 2027Fri 15 January
  3. 2028Tue 4 January
  4. 2029Mon 22 January
  5. 2030Fri 11 January

Sources Jing Chu Sui Shi Ji; Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu; Yan Jing Sui Shi Ji.