Labaiscele/patedontheeighthdayofthelastlunarmonth,referringtothetraditionalstartofcele/pationsfortheChineseNewYear.LainChinesemeansthe12thlunarmonthandbameanseight.
腊八是农历十二月的第八天，是欢庆春节的开始。汉语里，“腊”的意思是第十二个月，“八”的意思是八。
Legendsabouttheoriginofthisfestivityabound.Oneholdsthatover3,000yearsagosacrificialritescalledLa(腊)wereheldinthetwelfthlunarmonthwhenpeopleoffereduptheirpreystothegodsofheavenandearth.
TheChinesecharactersforprey(猎)andthetwelfthmonth(腊La)wereinterchangeablethen,andeversinceLahasbeenusedtorefertoboth.SincethefestivalwasheldontheeighthdayoftheLastmonth,peoplelaterappendedthenumbereight(bainChinese),givingusthecurrentLaba.
关于这个节日的起源有很多种说法。有一种说法是大约3000年前，一种祭祀仪式叫做“腊”，会在农历十二月举行。人们向天上和地下的神献出他们的猎物。那时候，表示猎物的汉字“猎”和表示农历十二月的“腊”是可以通用的。从那时候起，“腊”就用来指这两种意思了。因为这个节日是在最后一个月的第八天举行的，后来人们就加上了“八”，于是就有了现在的腊八。
Legend
关于腊八的传说
Theeight-treasureporridgewasfirstintroducedtoChinaintheSongDynastyabout900yearsago.
八宝粥最开始出现是在900年前的宋朝。
BuddhismwaswellacceptedintheareasinhabitedbytheHanChinese,whobelievedthatSakyamuni,thefirstBuddhaandfounderofthereligion,attainedenlightenmentontheeighthdayofthetwelfthmonth.Sutraswerechantedinthetemplesandriceporridgewithbeans,nutsanddriedfruitwaspreparedfortheBuddha.Withthepassingoftimethecustomextended,especiallyinruralareaswherepeasantswouldprayforaplentifulharvestinthisway.
Thereis,however,anothertouchingstory:WhenSakyamuniwasonhiswayintothehighmountainsinhisquestforunderstandingandenlightenment,hegrewtiredandhungry.Exhaustedfromdaysofwalking,hepassedintounconsciousnessbyariverinIndia.Ashepherdessfoundhimthereandfedhimherlunch--porridgemadewithbeansandrice.Sakyamuniwasthusabletocontinuehisjourney.Aftersixyearsofstrictdiscipline,hefinallyrealizedhisdreamoffullenlightenmentontheeighthdayofthetwelfthlunarmonth.Eversince,monkshavepreparedriceporridgeontheeveandheldaceremonythefollowingday,duringwhichtheychantsutrasandofferporridgetoBuddha.Thus,thetraditionofeatingLabaporridgewasbasedinreligion,thoughwiththepassingoftimethefooditselfbecameapopularwinterdishespeciallyincoldnorthernChina.
Accordingtowrittenrecords,largeBuddhisttempleswouldofferittothepoortoshowtheirfaithtoBuddha.IntheMingDynastyabout500yearsago,itbecamesuchaholyfoodthatemperorswouldofferittotheirofficialsduringfestivals.Asitgainedfavorinthefeudalupperclass,italsoquicklybecamepopularthroughoutthecountry.
根据有记载的历史，大的佛寺要向穷人施粥以显示对佛祖的信仰。在距今500年前的明朝，腊八粥变成了神圣的食物，就连皇帝也要在过节的时候赐粥给群臣。在封建上层社会的推动下，腊八粥迅速风靡全国。
腊八节用英语怎样介绍？
LabaFestivalisatraditionalChineseholidaycele/patedontheeighthdayofthetwelfthlunarmonth.It’sadayforcele/patingharvest,offeringsacrificestoancestors,andworshipinggods.Butaboveall,itisadayforcookingLabaCongee,ahodgepodgeofgrains,beansanddriedfruitsusedtoinvokepeaceandgoodfortune.
农历十二月初八是中国的传统节日——腊八节，在这一天人们庆祝丰收、祭祀祖先、拜神。最重要的是，在这一天人们要做由各种谷物、豆类和干果熬成的腊八粥以祈求来年和平及好运。
ChinesepeoplebelievethateatingcongeeduringLabafestivalwill/pinggoodluck.LabaCongeeisinfusedwithChinesepeople’sbeautifulexpectationsofahappylife.
中国人相信腊八节喝腊八粥会带来好运，腊八粥充满着中国人民对幸福生活的美丽期望。
FolktalesaboundastotheoriginsofeatingcongeeduringLabaFestival.Accordingtothemostfamousone,thefoundingemperoroftheMingDynasty,ZhuYuanzhang(reigned1368-1399),usedtoherdcattleforarichman.Oneday,hiscarelessnesscausedalegofoneofthecowstobe/poken.Therichmanwassoangrythathelockeduptheculpritinasmallroomanddidn’tallowfoodtobegiventohim.Aftersometime,thefamishedZhuYuanzhangfoundinacorneroftheroomaratholethatcontainedasupplyofstolenredbeans,rice,reddatesandotherproduce.Theseheboiledintocongee,onwhichhefeastedvoluptuously.Becausethatdaywastheeighthdayofthetwelfthlunarmonth,theemperorZhuYuanzhangnamedthecongeeLabaCongee.
腊八习俗有哪些？
腊八粥
LABAPORRIDGE
ThelabaporridgeisnotonlyayummytraditionalriteinChinatomarkthelabafestivalbutalsoadelicacygoodforhealth.
腊八节喝腊八粥是中国传统习俗，腊八粥不仅好喝，对身体也十分有益。
腊八粥，表达为“labaporridge”；“la”即“腊”，农历12月就是“腊月”，即“12thlunarmonth”。腊八就是腊月初八，这天要喝的腊八粥也称八宝粥，即“babaoporridge(eighttreasures)”。
腊八粥由多种食才熬制，但所用材料各地不同，主要成分包括糯米glutinousrice，红豆redbeans，薏米millets，大米Chinesesorghum，莲子lotusseeds，枣dates，栗子chestnuts，核桃walnut，杏仁almonds，花生peanuts等。
腊八蒜
LABAGARLIC
InNorthChinathereisacustomofpicklinggarlicinvinegaronLabaDay.Aftersomepickling,thegarlicwillturngreen.Thispickledgarlicgoesverywellwithdumplings.InChinese,thewords“garlic”and“calculate”havethesamepronunciation;therefore,eatinggarliconLabaDayissymbolicofreckoningtheyear’sincomeandexpensesasyear-endapproaches.
在中国的北方有一个习俗，在腊八节的时候把蒜泡到醋中，经过醋的浸泡后，蒜会变的通体碧绿。经过醋泡过的蒜和饺子一起吃更配哦~在中国“蒜”与“算”同音，随着年底的临近，在腊八节那天吃蒜是计算整年收支的象征。
腊八面
LABANOODLES
Becausenorthernerslikefoodsmadefromwheatflour,theyeatLabanoodlesonLabaDay.
因为北方人喜欢吃小麦面粉做的食物，所以在腊八节那天他们吃腊八面。
煮五豆
BOILINGFIVEKINDSOFBEANS
Insomeareas,peopleboilfivekindsofbeansandmakeadoughintheshapeofsparrow’sheadontheeighthdayofthe12thlunarmonth.Theybelieveiftheyeat“sparrowheads”,thesparrowswillhaveheadachesandnotharmtheircropsinthecomingyear.
有一些地区，人们在农历十二月初八那天煮五种豆子，并将面团揉成一个麻雀的头的形状。人们相信如果吃“麻雀头”，麻雀就会头疼，来年它们就不会伤害农作物。
吃冰
EATINGICE
Northernershaveacustomofleavingabasinofwateroutsidethehousetobefrozen;they/peakthisiceintopiecesandeatitonLabaDay.Theiceonthisdayissaidtopossesssupernaturalpower,capableofkeepingthosewhoeatitfreefromstomachacheforawholeyear.
北方人有一个习俗，他们在房子外面放一盆水等水冻成冰，在腊八节那天把冰捣碎并把它吃掉。据说，这天的冰拥有超自然的力量，它能让吃了的人一整年都不会肚子疼。
theeighthdayofthe12thlunarmonth农历十二月初八；
Labacongee(eight-treasureporridge)腊八粥；
barley大麦；
sorghum高粱；
redkidneybeans红芸豆；
mungbeans绿豆；
longan桂圆；
lotusseeds莲子；
jujubes枣；
chestnuts栗子；
raisins葡萄干；
sunflowerseeds瓜子仁；
walnutkernel核桃仁；
people'sprayersforharvest,happinessandpeace人们祈求丰收和吉祥
TheLabaisatraditionalChineseholidaycele/patedontheeighthdayoftheLaMonth(orLayue),thetwelfthmonthoftheChinesecalendar.ItiscustomaryonthisdaytoeatLabaCongee(喝腊八粥).
BeforetheQindynastytheLabafestivalwasacele/pationofthenewharvest.
AfterBuddhismspreadtoChinaduringthefirstcenturyCE,thefestivalwasusedascommemorationofGautamaBuddha'senlightenment(佛成道)attheageof35.
DuringtheQingdynasty,ceremoniesfortheLabafestival(腊八盛典)wouldhavebeenheldintheYongheTemple(雍和宫)inBeijing.
AnothercustomisthesoakingofLabagarlic(泡腊八蒜).GarlicissoakedinvinegarfortwentydaysstartingfromtheLabafestival.
ThegarlicandvinegaristhenusedalongsideChinesedumplings(orjiaozi)aroundChineseNewYear(春节前后，就着腊八蒜和醋吃饺子).GarlicinChinese,suan,sharesthesamepronunciationwith'calculate'.