In the noon I went to the canteen and ran into a colleague carrying a box of porridge. I said hello to him and then I got to know the porridge he had was for free because of the Laba Festival. It is supposed to be cold and it turns out to be in the opposite way. God knows. The cold wave could hit here at any time.
Every year in this festival, people come to temples to pray for the good luck in the new year. Meanwhile they are given the chance to have free porridge. Some crazy guys come to line up early in front of temples before dawn. Not surprisingly, for example, if you were at Lingyin temple you surely got that view of people flocking into there.
Anyway, we are in the hope of having a good new year. Not because of the porridge but the warmth from heart comforts.