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Religious Dietary Practices

April Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly religious dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are April dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for April events. March 30-April 7th   Observance & Dietary Restriction Pesach / Passover is a Jewish holiday with a significant work restriction. It’s a week-long observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. It is one of three pilgrimage festivals. Family gatherings, ritualized meals called Seders, reading of the Haggadah, lighting of Yahrzeit memorial candle at sundown on…

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Food Allergies

Food Labels: Meaning, Safety, and Duty of Care (Part One)

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Food labeling is a growing concern for millions on a global level. It tells us the nutritional content, ingredients that may be harmful, like allergens, and other important info such as whether an item is halal, kosher, or heart healthy. Consumers are also increasingly confused by value-added labels, such as non-GMO, organic, and free-range. Food label laws are barely keeping up with consumer’s needs, but here’s what you need to know when it comes to dietary restrictions.  At thrive! it’s important consumers and professionals both understand what these labels mean, but the meetings and events industry, HR professionals, caterers, and…

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Thrive March religious dietary restrictions calendar
Dietary Needs Religious Dietary Practices

March Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are March dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for March events. March 4 – Mahāśivarātrī (Shiv Ratri) Observance & Dietary Restriction Mahāśivarātrī (Shiv Ratri) is a Hindu festival. Followers of Shaivism, which is one of four Hindu religions, worship Lord Shiva as a Monotheist Lord. The festival is a vigil in His honor and is observed with a 24-hour fast from food and water. How to Include Participants While we will still be feeding our guests and employees on this day,…

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Dietary Needs Food Service Meetings & Events Religious Dietary Practices

Purim: Fasting, Foods, & Fun Festivities

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Jewish people around the world will be joining in on colorful celebrations, delicious food traditions, and joyous commemorations. This year, Purim will begin the evening of Wednesday, February 28th and end the evening of Thursday march 1, 2018. Like many religious observances, this holy day has a many beautiful traditions, including dietary practices. What Purim Celebrates The holiday is a celebration based on a story in the Book of Esther. A young woman named Esther was the wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia. The King’s advisor, Haman, persuaded him to kill all the Jews in the empire, but Esther’s cousin…

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Food for Everyone Thrive!
Dietary Needs Food Service Meetings & Events

Food For Everyone: Feasts & Fasts

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Those with dietary restrictions shouldn’t have to fast because they fear the feast. In other words, our employees, attendees, and colleagues shouldn’t have to skip meals or pack they’re own food, when they’ve paid for the banquet, the meal plan, or the cafeteria pass. If food is going to be available to groups of people, then courtesy, professionalism, and the law dictate that there be food for everyone in that group. This year, commit to a new take on menu management by resolving to accommodate dietary restrictions for all your guests.  Inclusion Inclusion looses all meaning when it isn’t … inclusive. We want…

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Thrive February religious dietary restrictions calendar
Dietary Needs Food Service Meetings & Events Religious Dietary Practices

Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar: February 2019

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It can be tough to keep up with the dietary restrictions of our attendees and employees. Knowing the holy days that are coming up can take effort because dates change each year and not all of them are included in the standard desk or Google calendar. On top of that, it’s hard to know which religious days are observed with dietary restrictions and what those accommodations would look like on a menu. A religious dietary restrictions calendar is exactly what’s needed. Even though our attendees and employees may not list their religious dietary restrictions and may not provide a handy…

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Religious Dietary Restrictions Guide - Thrive!
Religious Dietary Practices

Religious Dietary Restrictions: Your Essential Quick Reference Guide

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There are many religions with dietary restrictions and food traditions. Some are more famous than others, but all need to be respected and observed as closely as we are able when menu planning. This is your Thrive! guide to religious dietary restrictions.  Also, this isn’t comprehensive, and there are some differences in food rules across denominations. Plus, some people will observe these rules differently and with varied commitment. The best habit for us as HR professionals, caterers, chefs, and menu planners is to: Ask the attendee or employee what their requirements are prior to the event. Plan on accommodating as…

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Dietary Needs

Try These New Year’s Resolutions for Event Planners

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When thinking about resolutions for event planners, we are probably just like anyone else in a lot of ways. We want to be healthy, happy, and finally finish that book we’ve had bookmarked on the nightstand. But professionally, there’s a lot we can do, and I’ve got a few manageable suggestions for anyone looking for a few meeting and event commitments to be more inclusive in 2018. Embrace New Technologies There are plenty of ways to do this. We can implement a new event planning software. We can manage our to-do list with a new app. We can experiment with…

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An Apple a Day...Is Not for Everyone
Food Allergies

An Apple Day…Is Not for Everyone

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How One Meeting Eliminated Apple to Create a Safe Space for a Food-Allergic Attendee Last month I met a woman with an apple allergy. Yes, an apple allergy. I’m sure some of you can’t believe it, but it’s a real thing, and it can be fatal. While I’ve known others with an apple allergy, Leticia’s is the most severe I’ve encountered. As she explained in her registration form, she is “highly, deathly allergic” to apples, “both ingested and inhaled from others eating nearby.” This was vital information to know about her, since I was analyzing and coding catering menus to…

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