Rice Porridge Day, Festival Before Chinese New Year
Thousands of years, ancient Chinese worshiped heaven and ancestors with hunted animal meat
on 8th, 18th and 28th day of 12th lunar month. Later, Chinese made congee or porridge of
glutinous rice, mixed grains, cereals, dried fruit, salty meat on the 8th day of
last lunar month.
After Buddhism prevailed in China, Chinese said the day of 8th lunar day the Rice Porridge Day is in memory of the Shakyamuni Buddha's Enlightenment Day. To eat the creamy white rice porridge mixing mince is because a shepherd girl fed Buddha the creamy milk after his enlightenment.