请将下面这段话翻译成英文：

　　腊八节(the Laba Festival)在农历最后一个月的第八天庆祝，标志着春节庆祝 活动的开始。“腊”指“腊月(the 12th lunar month)”，是农历第十二个月，“八”指的 是数字8。腊八节通常在1月中旬。大多数汉族人遵循腊八节喝腊八粥(Laba rice porridge)的习俗。腊八粥最早在宋朝传入中国。据史料记载，一些大型寺庙会为穷人提供腊八粥来表达对佛祖(Buddha)的虔诚。明朝时，腊八粥成为皇帝在此节日赏赐群臣的神圣食物。

　　参考翻译：

　　Laba Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month, marking the beginning of celebrating the Chinese Spring Festival. La means the 12th lunar month and ba means the number eight. The date usually falls in mid-January. The majority of people from Han nationality has followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge on the Laba Festival. Laba rice porridge was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty. According to historical records, some large temples would offer the poor Laba rice porridge to show their faith to Buddha. In the Ming Dynasty, it became a holy food that emperors would use to award their officials on the festival.