The 24th Solar Term - GREAT COLD & LABA FESTIVAL

Great Cold, the last solar term in 24 solar terms, comes around January 20 each year.In this period, the cold waves from Siberia arrives in China.

When this day arrives, it’s time to welcome the Spring Festival. People get busy with buying new things, salting the meat and preparing New Year good. “Great Cold” represents the end of 24 solar terms and also marks the end of winter.

Laba Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar（阴历的）month. It’s a day for celebrating harvest, offering sacrifices（祭品） to ancestors, and worshiping gods（拜神）. But above all, it is a day for cooking Laba Congee（腊八粥）, a hodgepodge（大杂烩） of grains, beans and dried fruits used to invoke（祈求） peace and good fortune.

The laba porridge is not only a yummy traditional rite（习俗） in China to mark the laba festival but also a delicacy（美味） good for health.