In ancient Liang and Song times, it was tradition to offer congee to monks on the eighth day in Layue (the twe…
In ancient Liang and Song times, it was tradition to offer congee to monks on the eighth day in Layue (the twelfth month of the traditional Chinese calendar). This practice eventually evolved into Seven-Grain Congee, also known as Buddha's Congee—a nourishing blend first created by Buddhist followers to mark the day of Shakyamuni's enlightenment. As recorded in Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty, "The tradition of Laba Congee began in the Song. On the eighth day of Layue, major temples in Kaifeng prepared it with glutinous rice and seven treasures. Households soon followed suit."