1. Chinese New Year Tray of Togetherness – 全盒 – chuen hup Candy 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

2. Passover Seder Maror (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

3. 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!

4. Easter Breads Eggs New life Christ’s resurrection Ring shape Eternal life Hot Cross Buns Good Friday bread Cross = symbol of the Crucifixion.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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!

8. 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

9. Ahimsa and Vegetarianism in 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)

10. Food Practices of Buddhist 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

11. 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