Festival · 节日
Laba Festival (腊八)
Eight-treasure porridge at winter's edge.
Laba (腊八节) on lunar 12/8 marks the start of the New Year preparation season — the day is named after the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (腊月). The signature dish is Laba porridge (腊八粥), a rich blend of grains, beans, nuts, and dried fruit slow-cooked overnight.
When does Laba Festival fall?
- 2027 — Friday, January 15, 2027 (2027年1月15日)
- 2028 — Tuesday, January 4, 2028 (2028年1月4日)
- 2029 — Monday, January 22, 2029 (2029年1月22日)
Traditions
Laba porridge (腊八粥)
Eight or more grains and seeds (rice, millet, mung beans, red beans, peanuts, dates, lotus seeds, lily bulbs) simmered into a sweet, warming porridge.
Laba garlic (腊八蒜)
Northern China: peeled garlic cloves submerged in vinegar — they turn jade-green over weeks and accompany dumplings at New Year.
Common questions
What date is Laba 2027?
Laba 2027 falls on Friday, January 15, 2027 (lunar 12/8). The 2026 Laba was on January 26, 2026.
Why eat porridge?
Buddhist tradition: Laba commemorates the day Siddhartha attained enlightenment after being revived by a bowl of porridge from a milkmaid. Folk tradition: it's simply warm, nourishing, and uses up grain stores before New Year.
What goes into Laba porridge (腊八粥)?
There is no single recipe. Families use rice or glutinous rice with beans (red beans, mung beans), millet or barley, and add peanuts, jujube dates, lotus seeds, lily bulbs or dried fruit. The pot is simmered slowly until thick and lightly sweet.
How long before Chinese New Year is Laba?
Laba is on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, about three weeks before New Year's Day. It opens the New Year preparation season: after Laba comes Little New Year (小年), house cleaning and shopping for the reunion dinner. The saying goes 过了腊八就是年, "after Laba, it's the New Year".
Why is Laba garlic (腊八蒜) green?
Garlic cloves are soaked in vinegar in a sealed jar. Over a few weeks the vinegar reacts with compounds in the garlic and the cloves turn jade green, ready to eat with dumplings at New Year. This is a northern Chinese custom.
What comes after Laba: when is Little New Year (小年)?
Little New Year (小年, Xiǎonián) comes two weeks or so after Laba. Northern China usually marks it on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month and southern China on the 24th. It is the day families send off the Kitchen God (灶王爷) with sweets and begin the deep clean (扫尘) before New Year. See the Lunar New Year page for the exact dates.