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Hinduism
History and Core Beliefs
Hinduism is the oldest religion; it may date to prehistoric times. It was founded in India and
developed out of the religion of Brahminism. Hinduism has no founder and it is not considered
a single religion. Hinduism is the practices of a variety of different religious groups that come
out of India. Hindus believe in a universal soul or God called Brahman. Brahman takes on
many forms that some Hindus worship as gods or goddesses in their own right. Hindus
believe in reincarnation – the cycle of repeated births and deaths. They also believe in Karma
– our incarnation in this life is dependent on how the previous life was lived. The spiritual goal
of a Hindu is to achieve Moksha – to become one with Brahma through knowledge,
meditation and devotion.
Sacred Text
The most ancient sacred texts of the Hindu religion are written in the language of Sanskrit and
are called the Vedas. Hinduism does not have one sacred book but several scriptures. The
word Vedas means knowledge and these scriptures are the law. Most beliefs, concepts, and
ceremonies are based on information in the Vedas. They are considered as a guide to Hindus
daily lives and they help to preserve the religious dimensions of family and society. The four
Vedas are: Rigveda, Yajur-Veda, Sami-Veda and Atharva-Veda. The books are so special
that they are often kept in glass cases.
Festivals
The main festival in Hinduism is Diwali - ‘festival of light’. This celebrates the New Year and is
India’s most important holiday. Diwali celebrates the rescue of Prince Rama and his wife, Sita
who are banished from their home by the King. Their community lit oil lamps to guide Rama
and Sita back home. Diwali is a celebration of how good wins over evil and lights are used to
symbolise this. Celebrations last for five days and consist of visits to temples, exchanges of
traditional gifts of sweets and candles, decorating homes in bright colours and fireworks.
Food and Dietary Requirements
Many Hindus will not eat meat, especially beef. This is because Hindu beliefs emphasise the
importance of living in harmony with nature and having mercy, respect and compassion for all
creatures. Also, Hindus divide food into three categories, based on how they enhance or
hinder spiritual development. Tamasic foods are considered heavy and depressive and
include meat and heavy cheese. Rajasic foods are hot and spicy and can lead to a state of
anger and hate. Sattvic foods are supposed to help unfold love and compassion, these
include fruits, fresh yoghurt and leafy greens.
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Islam
History and Core Beliefs
Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with over a billion followers. It is more
often thought of as a complete way of life rather than a religion. Islam began in Arabia and
was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad. Those who follow Islam are called
Muslims. Islam is mainly followed in the Middle East, Asia, and the north of Africa. Muslims
have six main beliefs: belief in Allah as the one and only God; belief in angels; belief in the
holy books, belief in the Prophets; belief in the Day of Judgement and belief in Predestination.
They follow the five Pillars of Islam – five duties they are obliged to perform. These are:
Shahadah – declaration of faith; Salah – prayer; Zakat – giving to charity; Saum – fasting
during Ramadam; Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
Sacred Text
The Muslim scripture is the Holy Qur’an. Muslims believe it is ‘the word of God’. Muslims treat
the Qur’an with great respect because they believe that the Qur’an is from Allah, and every
word and every letter is sacred. It is usually placed on a special wooden stand to be read. The
words of the Qur’an are used to decorate the mosques where Muslims go to worship Allah.
Festivals
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a time when Muslims across the
world will fast during the hours of daylight. During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when
the verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a time of worship and
contemplation, a time to strengthen family and community ties. Muslims get up before dawn to
have a light meal. At the end of each day Muslims break their fast with a meal called the iftar.
Eid marks the breaking of the fast for Muslims at the end of Ramadan. Lasting for three days,
it is a time for family and friends to get together, for celebrating with good food and presents
for children, and giving to charity.
Food and Dietary Requirements
Muslims do not drink alcohol and they do not eat meat that is not slaughtered in the name of
Allah. They believe this because it is commanded by Allah, who decreed some foods halal
(allowed) and some haram (forbidden). Obedience to this is a matter of faith. Overeating is
heartily discouraged and healthy, naturally grown food is ideal.
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Buddhism
History and Core Beliefs
Buddhism began in Northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama.
The religion is 2500 years old and is followed by 350 million Buddhists worldwide. Buddhism is
a religion about suffering and the need to get rid of it. Buddhists believe in a cycle of birth, life
and death and rebirth and so on. They believe that unless someone gains Enlightenment, they
will not break out of this cycle. Breaking the cycle is called Nirvana, this is a state of perfect
peace, free of suffering. Buddhists try to reach Nirvana by following Buddha’s teachings and
by meditating.
Sacred Text
The sacred book of Buddhism is called the Tripitaka. This is a very large book that and the
English translation is nearly forty volumes long. The book is divided into three sections (three
baskets of wisdom): Vinaya Pitaka – a rule book for monks and nuns; Sutta Pitaka – the
actual experiences of Buddha; Abhidhamma Pitaka – an explanation on the teaching of
Buddha. Parts of the Tripitaka are among the most expressive religious books in the world.
Some of Buddha’s parables are very similar to those used by Jesus.
Festivals
The main Buddhist festival of the year is Buddha Day/Wesak/Vaiskha, the celebration of the
Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death. The festival is a celebration of much colour. Homes
are decorated and lanterns are made of paper or wood. Buddhists also visit their local temples
for services and teachings, and give offerings to monks. Some Buddhist festivals are special to
particular countries, such as Losar, the most important Buddhist holiday in Tiber celebrating
the Tibetan New Year, or Hanna Matsuri, a Japanese celebration of the Budha’s birthday.
Food and Dietary Requirements
There are no set dietary laws in Buddhism and no clear distinction between permitted and
forbidden foods. Therefore, there is a great deal of diversity in Buddhist practice. They believe
in reincarnation and that the soul may at some point inhabit an animal, thus they abstain from
killing living creatures. Also, the Buddha exhorted followers to stay away from the ‘five
pungent spices’ – onions, garlic, scallions, chives and leeks – as cooked they are said to
intensify desires, and raw, increase anger.
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Christianity
Sacred Text
The Bible is the Christian holy book and is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old
Testament is the collection of religious writings by the ancient Israelites that form the first
section of Christian Bibles. The books included in the Old Testament varies markedly between
Christian denominations. The New Testament is a collection of 27 works written by early
disciples of Jesus. They consist of the ‘gospels’ - four narratives of the life, teachings, death
and resurrection of Jesus; the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ – a narrative of the Apostles ministries;
the ‘epistles’ – twenty one letters consisting of Christian doctrine and instruction; and the
‘Book of Revelation’ which is a book of prophecy about the end times.
Festivals
The two main Christian festivals are Easter and Christmas. They are major milestones in the
Western secular (non-religious) calendar. Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth
of Jesus, as described in the New Testament. The eve of Christmas is marked by a midnight
church service and followed by a day of celebration and exchanging presents. Today,
Christmas is a largely secular holiday with many seeing as a time to celebrate with friends and
family. Easter is the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ as described in the
New Testament. In preparation for Easter is the 40 day period of repentance and fasting
known as Lent. This ends on Easter Sunday, a particularly joyous day marked by a church
service and the exchanging of chocolate eggs
Food and Dietary Requirements
For some Christians, eating habits are not affected – though some will choose be
vegetarians, usually for moral reasons. Traditionally, on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all
Fridays in Lent Catholics would not eat meat. These acts of self-denial and penance are in
observance of divine law that each person should turn from sin and make reparation to God
for their sins.
History and Core Beliefs
Christianity is the world’s biggest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide. It is based
on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2000 years ago. Christians are
people who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he rose from the dead and
appeared to his disciples to show everyone that there is another life with one, eternal, loving
God. They only believe in one God, but that one God consists of 3 ‘persons’: The Father, The
Son and The Holy Spirit. Christian worship involves praising God in music, speech, reading
from scripture, prayers of various sorts, a sermon and various holy ceremonies
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Sikhism
History and Core Beliefs
Sikhism is one of the world’s youngest religions being founded just over 500 years ago.
Despite being so young, it is the fifth largest religion in the world with over 20 million followers.
Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. The core beliefs are: There is one God, men and
women are equal, people should meditate, live honestly and share with others. The five
articles of faith are called the Panj Kakkar. These are worn to display the commitment to their
beliefs and they are: Kesh – uncut hair, Kangha – comb, Kara – steel bracelet, Kirpan –
sword, Kaccha – soldier’s shorts.
Sacred Text
The Sikh Scripture is called Guru Granth Sahib. It is a collection of teachings and writings by
Guru Nanak and other Gurus as well as Sikh, Hindu and Muslim saints. This scripture
teaches through divine poetry that is set to a formal system of Sikh classical music. It is kept
under a special canopy in the Sikh place of worship – the Gurdwara. Sikhs take off their
shoes in the presence of the holyscriptures. At every festival, the scriptures are read
continuously from beginning to end, this takes about 48 hours.
Festivals
Hola Mohalla is a time for contests when Sikhs show their skills at athletics, horsemanship
and martial arts. It occurs in February or March each year. Baisakhi Day in April celebrates
the New Year and is the day Sikhs are baptized into their faith. Guru Nanak’s birthday is
celebrated each October and the Guru Granth Sahib is carried through the streets by five
men.
Foods and Dietary Requirements
The Sikhs do not have many strict rules regarding food but many choose to be vegetarians.
As Sikhism orginated in India many Sikhs still follow traditional Indian methods of cooking.
Their meals may include foods such as: Roti - a flat and round type of wholemeal bread, Daal
– a cooked pulse or lentil, and Paneer – specially prepared cheese cubes. Similarly, their
sweet dishes often follow traditional Indian cooking, using ingredients such as milk, sugar and
ghee (a type of oil).
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Name:
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P9.03 Project: “Food for Thought”
World Religions Cribsheet
Judaism
History and Core Beliefs
Judaism is the oldest of the world’s four biggest monotheistic religions (religions with only one
god). It is also the smallest, with only about 12 million followers around the world. Jewish
history begins with the covenant established between God and Abraham over 3800 years ago
in Israel. Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with
whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship. Moses is also an
important figure as he gave the Jews the Torah (holy book) that contains the laws of God. The
most important day of the week is the Sabbath, which is a day made holy by refraining from
work, including driving and cooking. On the Sabbath, Jews attend services at the synagogue,
often led by a Rabbi.
Sacred Text
The most holy Jewish book is the Torah. This contains the five books revealed to Moses by
God on Mount Sinai, these are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. No
one is allowed to touch the Torah, so a special pointer called a yad is used to follow words
when reading it. Portions of the Torah are read publically at least once every three days and
this is one of the bases for Jewish communal life.
Festivals
Passover is celebrated to commemorate the liberation of the Children of Israel who were led
out of slavery in Egypt by Moses. It is a major eight day festival. A highlight is the Seder meal
held in each family’s home at the beginning of the festival, when the story of their deliverance
is recounted. Matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten throughout the festival, as are other foods
that contain no leaven. Another important festival is Hanukkah - the Jewish festival of Lights. It
is an eight day holiday that celebrates the miraculous victory over religious persecution in the
Holy Land and also commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and
the miracle of the burning oil. Each day Jews will light a candle on a Menorah and give a
blessing.
Food and Dietary Requirements
Jews do not eat pork or shellfish and they do not eat meat and dairy in the same meal. This is
because the Torah says no. Fruits and vegetables must be washed to ensure a lack of
insects. Three hours must be allowed between eating meat and dairy. Popular Jewish foods
include: Challah – braided egg bread; Gefilte fish – a stuffed fish, filled with a mixture of
chopped fish, eggs, onions, crumbs and spices; bagels and cream cheese and lox (cured
salmon)
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