Religious Celebrations Rich in Food

April 18, 2003

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On April 18, 2003 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "last weekend, members of a small East Side congregation blended Jewish and Christian practices into a Holy Week/Passover worship ceremony that ended with a feast -- a springtime tradition of both faiths... The Church of God and Saints of Christ began with evening worship on Palm Sunday, followed by a Passover Seder, or festive meal... Celebrations in many other faiths are festivals rich in food, but not just at springtime... Bahais hold communal meetings every 19 days. Called 'feasts,' the events are divided into three parts -- devotional reading, business discussion and refreshments... Sikhs celebrate the New Year in mid-April. Most Sikh worship services end with a community meal, said Tarunjit S. Butalia, secretary of the Sikh Educational and Religious Foundation in Dublin... On April 8, Buddhists in the northern tradition celebrated the birthday of Buddha by pouring tea over statues of him and making offerings of fruits and other foods at in-house shrines and temples, said Winifred Wirth of the Karma Thegsum Choling, a Buddhist temple on the West Side."