Eat Leizaisu

It is believed that the birthday of Leizun, an important personage of Suzhou, falls on 24 June. The festival of Eat Leizaisu dictates that everyone goes vegetarian for one day out of respect for this man and because doing so is believed to prevent disaster, avoid epidemic disease and ensure everlasting peace. In the past, the people of Suzhou celebrated this festival for a whole month, generally in June, but today they are more likely to celebrate it for just a few days. The end of the festival is marked with a special noodle dish known as Luya Noodles.