To make the Laba Congee for the upcoming Laba Festival, residents purchase cereals in a market in Baofeng County, Pingdingshan City, Henan Province on Jan. 10. (Photo by Gu Jun, Xinhua)

This year's Laba Festival, which falls on the eighth day of the 12th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, arrived on Tuesday. In China, the two most important traditions associated with the Laba Festival are eating Laba Congee, and praying for peace and good health in the coming year.