Food is an important part of religious observance and spiritual ritual for many different faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The role of food in cultural practices and religious beliefs is complex and varies among individuals and communities. The following article is not all-encompassing. It is an introduction to a diverse and complex topic, and includes some of the ways in which various religious groups include food as a vital part of their faith.
ChristianityThe various faiths of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The regulations governing food differ from one to the next, including some faiths that don’t advocate any restrictions. Selected facts include:
The ritual of the transubstantiation (changing) of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ is believed to occur at communion.
Roman Catholics fast for at least one hour prior to communion.
Fasting is sometimes considered to be ‘praying with the body’. It is believed to improve spiritual discipline - by overcoming the sensations of the physical world and focussing on prayer and spiritual growth. It may serve as a way to respect those people around the world who regularly face starvation or malnutrition.
Self-denial (of food) can help Christians to remember that having what you want is not always the path to happiness.
Variations of fasting or abstinence are observed by some Roman Catholics on such occasions as Lent or Good Friday; for example, some may strictly avoid meat at this time.
Most Protestants observe only Easter and Christmas as feast days, and don’t follow ritualised fasting.
Mormons avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages.
The majority of Seventh Day Adventists don’t eat meat or dairy products, and are likely to avoid many condiments including mustard. Those that do eat meat don’t eat pork.
JudaismJudaism can be Liberal or Orthodox, based on the degree of adherence to the Jewish laws. ‘Kashrut’ refers to the laws pertaining to food in the Jewish religion. ‘Kosher’ means that a food is permitted or ‘clean’, while anything ‘unclean’ (such as pork and shellfish) is strictly forbidden. The Jewish ‘food laws’ originated more than 2,000 years ago and contribute to a formal code of behaviour that reinforces the identity of a Jewish community. Food forms an integral part of religion in life for a practising Jew. Other selected facts include:
Foods must be prepared in the right way in order to be kosher; for example, animals that provide meat must be slaughtered correctly.
The consumption of certain foods, including dairy products and fish, is subject to restrictions; for example, there are rules forbidding the mixing and consumption of dairy products with meats.
Ritualised fasting is also included in Judaism. Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement - for example, is a Jewish fast that lasts from, approximately, dusk till dusk.
Jewish feast days include Rosh Hashanah and Passover.
The Passover commemorates the birth of the Jewish nation. The food eaten helps to tell the story of the Exodus; for example, bitter herbs recall the suffering of the Israelites under Egyptian rule.
IslamIn Islam the concept of ‘Halal’, meaning ‘lawful or permitted’, is applied to all areas of a person’s life including regulations surrounding food. Prohibited foods are called ‘Haram’. It is thought that the Creator turns a deaf ear to a Muslim who eats Haram foods. Other selected facts include:
The list of Haram foods includes pork, alcohol, foods that contain emulsifiers made from animal fats, frozen vegetables with sauce, particular margarines, and bread or bread products that contain dried yeast.
Gelatine can be made from pig and, since pork is Haram, products containing gelatine are forbidden.
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee are sometimes considered Haram.
Certain religious dates demand fasting from dawn till dusk.
Some Muslims choose to fast on Mondays or Thursdays or both.
The month of Ramadan requires mandatory fasting during sunlight hours, as do particular dates of religious significance, such as the ninth day of Zul Hijjah.
HinduismPeople who practice the Hindu religion don’t eat meat from animals. They also avoid foods that may have caused pain to animals during manufacture. ‘Karma’ is believed to be the spiritual load we accumulate or relieve ourselves of during our lifetime. Animals are believed to have spiritual awareness. If a Hindu consumes animal flesh, they accumulate the Karma of that act - which will need to be balanced through good actions and learning in this life or the next. Depending on the level of adherence to this belief, in many cases beef is forbidden, while pork is sometimes restricted or avoided. Selected facts include:
‘Food is God (Brahman)’ is a common Hindu saying. Food is thought to be an actual part of Brahman, rather than simply a Brahman symbol.
Foods contain energies such as sound waves that can be absorbed by the person who eats them - the Hindu religion takes literally the maxim ‘You are what you eat’.
According to the Hindu religion, violence or pain inflicted on another living thing rebounds on you (Karma).
In keeping with the aim to avoid violence or pain to any living thing, vegetarianism is advocated, but not compulsory.
Prohibited animal products tend to vary from one country or region to the next; for example, duck and crab may be forbidden in one geographical location, but not in another.
Foodstuffs such as alcohol, onions and garlic are thought to inhibit the Hindu’s quest for spiritual enlightenment by exciting the body and leading to acts which may have Karmic impact, and are therefore avoided or restricted.
While beef is forbidden, dairy products including milk, butter and yoghurt are considered to enhance spiritual purity.
Fasting depends on the person’s caste (or social standing) and the occasion; for example, rules regarding fasting depend on whether the day has religious or personal significance.
BuddhismThe dietary rules of Buddhism, which is more of a life philosophy than a religious doctrine, depend on which branch of Buddhism is practiced and in what country. Selected facts include:
In his lives on Earth, Buddha cycled through various animal forms before he took on the form of a human being - this is why most Buddhists are vegetarian.
Similarly to the Hindu concept of Karma, Buddhism proposes that violence or pain inflicted on others will rebound on you, further strengthening the need for a vegetarian lifestyle. Some Buddhists believe that the cause of human aggression is violence against animals.
Some Buddhists avoid meat and dairy products, while others only shun beef.
Religious dates vary from one region to the next. Mahayana Buddhism, for example, celebrates three festivals for the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha, while Theravada Buddhists observe all three events on a single day.
Buddhist monks tend to fast in the afternoon.
Buddhist monks and nuns aren’t allowed to cultivate, store or cook their own food; instead, they must rely on ‘alms’, which are donations from believers. This sometimes includes meats, as monks and nuns aren’t allowed to ask for specific foods.
Traditionally, meat from bears, dogs, elephants, horses, hyenas, lions, panthers, snakes and tigers are strictly prohibited to Buddhist monks and nuns.
