The Laba Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth Chinese calendar month.
Laba is named directly for this date: “la” refers to the twelfth lunar month and “ba” means eight. It occurs shortly before Chinese New Year, but its date moves in the Gregorian calendar because it follows the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar rather than a fixed January date.
The festival is known for eating Laba congee and preparing Laba garlic. Its religious and cultural associations overlap in some communities with Buddhist observances, including Bodhi Day. The Laba date should not be confused with the eighth day of the first lunar month, which falls during the New Year period; it belongs to the twelfth lunar month immediately preceding it.