Religious Dietary Practices

religious dietary restrictions August

August Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

August Religious Dietary Restrictions In keeping with my commitment to provide a helpful monthly calendar to everyone on religious dietary restrictions, here are August religious dietary restrictions dates to keep in mind this month. August 1 — Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus Observance & Dietary Restriction The Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus is a two week fasting period observed by Eastern Orthodox Christians to commemorate the death and burial of the Virgin Mary. Beginning on August first, Eastern Orthodox Christians forgo most proteins including dairy products, red meat, chicken, and…

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religious dietary restrictions

July Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly religious dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are July dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for July events. July 10th Observance & Dietary Restriction Martyrdom of the Báb is a Baha’i observance beginning at sunset on July 9th and ending at the end of the day on July 10th. It is a time of mourning for The Báb who was a prophet and founder of the Baha’i faith. He was executed on this day in 1850. How to include participants Because this is a time of mourning…

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May Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

In keeping with my commitment to bring a helpful monthly dietary restrictions calendar to everyone, here are May dates to keep in mind as you plan menus for May events. May 1st   Observance & Dietary Restriction Lailat al Bara’ah (Islam) – This holy day is known as Lailat al-Bara’ah (“Night of Forgiveness”) in Arabic and Shab-Barat in Persian. It is celebrated on the night of the full moon. It is believed this is the night when fates are fixed. How to include participants Followers observe the date by holding a vigil throughout the night. They congregate at the local…

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April Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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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Thrive March religious dietary restrictions calendar

March Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar

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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Purim - Thrive-cover

Purim: Fasting, Foods, & Fun Festivities

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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Thrive February religious dietary restrictions calendar

Religious Dietary Restrictions Calendar: February 2019

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 Restrictions: Your Essential Quick Reference Guide

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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Yom Kippur: A Time of Reflection and Food Restrictions (G’mar Hatima Tova & G’mar Tov)

Dietary restrictions come in many shapes and sizes. They can be health-related, but they can also be religious dietary restrictions. For Yom Kippur, religious dietary restrictions are an important part of this holy day. When menu planning, we always need to take into account whether we have any religious dietary restrictions among our attendees, such as the need for Kosher meals. During holy days, it’s also important to recognize the timing of meals and traditional foods to have available. We don’t have to restrict everyone in attendance, of course. However, having traditional foods available to attendees during the traditional pre-fast…

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Matza bread for passover celebration - how to Manage a Kosher event

So You Are Asked to Manage a Kosher Event…What do You do?

How to Manage A Kosher Event In October after hearing how Bonnie had to plan her daughter’s Jewish wedding last month incorporating two different kosher practices, I asked if she would write a piece on how to plan and manage a kosher event. Below is some of her guidance.  When you plan or manage a kosher event it can be overwhelming to those who have no knowledge of what kosher means and even to those who are Jewish and were raised in a kosher home. My experience in planning a 3,000 person event for the Council of Jewish Federations for their General Assembly was…

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