Chinese New YearTray of Togetherness – – 全盒 chuen

hupCandy Melon

• growth, health

Coconut• unity

Kumquat• gold, prosperity

Longan• many good sons

Lotus Seeds• fertility

Lychee Nut• close family relationships

Peanuts• long life

Red Melon Seeds• red for joy, happiness, truth, sincerity

Passover SederMaror (bitter herbs)

• bitterness of Jewish slavery in Egypt

Karpas (spring vegetable in salt water)

• tears

Zeroa (lamb’s shankbone)

• biblical Passover sacrifice

Charoset (apples, nuts, cinnamon, sweet wine)

• mortar used by the Hebrew slaves     

Beitzah (roasted egg)

• mourning; spring’s rebirth & fertility

Matzo (unleavened bread)

• hasty flight from Egyptian slavery

Mardi Gras / Pancake Tuesday

• Mardi Gras: last day before Lent

• Christians fast during this season.

• Day before, they would use up foods such as sugar, butter, milk, eggs…

… perfect ingredients for pancakes!

Easter Breads

Eggs• New life • Christ’s resurrection

Ring shape• Eternal life

Hot Cross Buns • Good Friday bread• Cross = symbol of the Crucifixion.

Easter Lamb

• Most popular Easter symbol worldwide• Jesus “the Lamb of God”• From the Ancient Hebrew practice of

slaughtering the sacrificial lamb to atone for sins

Ramadan & Eid al-Fitr

Ramadan• Month of reflection, worship, fasting

Abstaining from food • dawn to dusk• to purify, re-centre toward God

Eid al-Fitr • end of Ramadan• fast is broken with sweets, fruit. • only special foods served • a time for hospitality and generosity

to neighbours of all faiths.

Thanksgiving

Turkey for Thanksgiving?

• Part of the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving meal?

• Ben Franklin on the turkey: “respectable… a Bird of Courage…” Ideal symbol of the U.S.

• Who knows why!

Weddings

White colour

• purity

Cutting the cake together

• First act of couple working together

Feeding one other

• Symbol of the commitment to provide, take care of one another

Ahimsa and Vegetarianismin Hinduism & Buddhism

• Ahimsa

non-violence

• Interdependence of all life

• Karma (Hinduism):

A person’s actions will influence his/her destiny in the next life.

• Any harm inflicted on another (incl. animals) will return to the source (Buddhism)

Food Practices ofBuddhist Monks & Nuns

Buddhist monks, nuns

• not allowed to grow, store or prepare their own food

• must rely on alms (donations) from lay believers.

Donating food

• opportunity to practice generosity, show gratitude for faith

Cow in Hinduism

• Revered as sacred

• Associated with several different Hindu gods, incl. Shiva, Indra, Krishna

• Believed to represent the goodness of the divine and of nature

• Should therefore be both venerated and protected