Islam Food

Halal culture is very important to many people and many people in HCHS follow the Islam culture. The food served at HCHS is not pertaining to the restrictions for the Halal food diet. HCHS should recognize the importance of Halal culture by providing food that is suitable to the people who follow the Islamic culture. Below are some of the food restrictions on their food.

According to The Spruce Eats, the Islamic culture pertains to the main rule as everything should be eaten unless there are strict, forbidden rules against eating those foods. The word forbidden in Islam food culture means that it is not permitted to eating any animals that are slaughtered. This means no pork, or any meat from animals not slaughtered in the name of Allah. Halal foods are offered around the markets. They even have Halal Turkeys for Thanksgiving and other food sources that don’t cross the forbidden rules of the Halal diet. The Halal food has been distributed throughout the Middle East through food trucks that serve foods that include falafel, shawarma, and other flavorful kabobs. Some popular dishes served on the street are gyros, rice, and other delicious sauces to go with the traditional Halal food. 

Halal food and culture are celebrated throughout the US and we need to have a greater cultural awareness of this culture. One of the ways we can do this is by being able to supply the food that they can eat. Not supplying the necessary food for their needs is not only a disgrace to the culture, but it is also something that we can learn from and make better. Halal food is a very important part of the Islam culture and we the people should provide the food that is suitable for the Islamic people.

Major Holy Celebrations In Islam

 

Eid Al-Adha

    Eid Al-Adha means Feast of Sacrifice. This is a celebration of a story from Prophet Ibrahim’s (PBUH) life. In his willingness to sacrifice his son when God asked him to, God gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead of his son. Muslims have gatherings to celebrate this act of obedience and feast on halal foods. There is also sheep or lamb often served. 

Ramadan

    Ramadan is the month in which Muslims fast every day from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is not a random thirty days, it's a month on the Islamic calendar (a calendar used in Islam to determine and keep track of rituals and holidays). Every year Ramadan is set back ten days, because the Islamic calendar has a total of 355 days in it. Muslims believe that during this blessed month, good deeds count as greater and focusing on good and improving your self is very important. It is said in Islam that during these days, the gates of heaven are open, and the devil is locked up in chains and the gates of hell are closed. This implies that he (the devil or Satan) cannot whisper in your ear and you are more safe during this time. Muslims tend to quit bad habits, pray more and read Quran more in this month as well.

Eid Al-Fitr

    Eid Al-Fitr means Festivity of Breaking (of the fast) and is celebrated at the end of Ramadan. On Eid Al-Fitr, what calls for a celebration is not the month of fasting to be over, but rather the strength to push on and willpower given to them by God during the 30 days of fasting (Ramadan). Because Ramadan is over, that does not mean the positive changes and choice to do good stops for a Muslim. Instead, the month marks a new time of reform in one's life.

An Open Letter To Dress Codes

Most school dress codes don't allow hats/head coverings during class to increase student retention. This works for most children, but Jewish men tend to wear a kippah/yarmulke/skullcap because it is considered a sign of devoutness, women often wear head scarves or hats for the same reason- Wearing these head garments is said to keep a separation between god and man, reminding Jews that they are under god. Dress code policies against headwear and facial coverings make it diffucult for many religions to feel represented, including Judaism.

Kosher

The situation I am addressing is that students are complaining about the food in the cafeteria. The problem is that the food being served can sometimes not be allowed to be eaten in certain religions. According to Judaism for Children, those who conform to Jewish law are not allowed to eat pork, pork products, and shellfish. Another rule is that the animal must chew its cud and cannot have a split hoof. In addition, they cannot combine meat and dairy. A way to help this situation out is providing more Kosher safe foods as in replacing some pork products with different meats and adding sections to help students separate meat and dairy foods. On certain Jewish holidays, Quest Food Services could help to provide more Kosher products to ensure that students are following their holiday. For example on Yom Kippur, they could serve foods like rice and chicken.

The Significance Of Christian Holidays

     

Many Christians, and people celebrate Christian holidays without knowing their true significance and meaning. Oftentimes, people go through the motions of giving presents, and hiding Easter eggs, just because it was what they did as a child. However, each Holiday has its own special meaning, and backstory.

     Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. This is because on this day Jesus Christ was born. Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. Many Christians celebrate Christmas by attending a big mass ceremony at their church. They go to this mass to worship Jesus on his birthday. Another Christmas tradition is giving gifts. Gifts are given to remind us of the presents that the wise men gave to Jesus. Lastly, a fun thing some people do is go caroling. People do this to spread joy, and connect to others in the name of god.

     Secondly, many people celebrate Easter. Lots of people celebrate this holiday. In fact roughly 80% of people in the However, there is a large number of people who do not know why it is a tradition to find Easter eggs, where it originated, and Easter's significance. Easter is the oldest and most important Christian holiday. This is because it is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is the story of Jusus' last days, he was crucified on good Friday, then came back to life on Easter day. The eggs in Easter represent the celebration of a new life.  This is why there are so many traditions involving eggs around Easter. An example of this would be Egg dying, egg hunt, and egg rolling. Easter is thought to be one of the most historically important holidays for Christians.

Lastly, lent is a very important day for Christians. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, lent is the time for preparation, and reflection before Easter. During this time people often give up favorite foods and festivities. Christians do this to test self discipline and also because they believe that Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and nights as a time of prayer and fasting. This was before he would die on the cross. Christians go the full 40 days and nights not including Sunday. This is because Sundays are seen as a day of celebration in the church. In the past lent was often much stricter and people were restricted on many more foods. However, in the present time the churches have loosened up and have become less controlling. If one breaks Lent there is no punishment besides the internal punishment. If one breaks Lent usually they feel guilty and like they betrayed Jesus. Roughly 61% of Catholics and Christians partake in Lent.

The Importance of Islamic Holidays

You are a CEO of a Fortune 500 company and your company does not observe Islamic holidays? Why not? Did you know Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world? With about 1.8 billion followers, almost one in four people are members of the Islamic faith. So, why aren’t Islamic holidays nationally observed just like Christian ones? Well, it is most likely because Christian holidays like Christmas were adopted in modern society in 529. It is difficult to understand why Christians are able to take days off for Christmas and Good Friday while other religious populations are left out of the equation. Christmas Eve, Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter, account for the same amount of days as Eid ul Adha, but Muslims do not get their fair share of days off. In order to be a more inclusive society, we need to be more accepting and tolerant of religions different from ours, and allow others to take the religious days off they need. 

There are two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic Law, Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha. Eid ul Fitr is not observed to celebrate the end to fasting, but to instead thank Allah for giving Muslims self control during the time of fasting. During this holiday, a celebratory meal is eaten during the daytime. Eid ul Adha is the second of the two Muslim festivals set by Islamic Law. During Eid ul Adha, followers of Islam celebrate Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his own son to Allah. Even though the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey Allah, Ibrahim persisted. Muslims relate this to their sacrifices and submission to Allah, and this is why the holiday is celebrated year after year. Sheep are given as sacrifice, and the meat is split evenly among three groups: family, friends, and the poor.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this time, Muslims fast during daylight hours. During the ninth month, the Quran, (the Islamic sacred book), was revealed. The gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed with the devils inside. Because the month is blessed by Allah, Muslims believe that their good actions bring a greater reward during this month. Also, they believe it is easier to do good during this month because the devils are locked in Hell, meaning they are unable to tempt Muslims. Lastly, all Muslims try to give up bad habits during this month. They also try to become better Muslims by reading the Quran more often. 

Why Should We Get Days for Christian Holidays?

     For the religion of Christianity, It is important to address the break that school should get. Many schools only give students 4 days of a break for these memorable holidays. I think that this should change that for many reasons. I believe that school boards should take into consideration the holiday break to relax and spend time with your family. It is important to remember the student’s cultures and traditions that these holidays give to people. School boards should take into consideration what these holidays mean to students and what the students get from celebrating. The 2 major holidays that Christians celebrate are Christmas and Easter. 

    Christmas, the time where every family comes together to celebrate and eat ham. But what is Christmas really about? It refers to the old English name 'Cristes Maesse' meaning  Christ's Mass. Christmas is to remember the birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God who was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Family celebrates throughout the month by making their annual Christmas Cookies and sending out holiday cards to cheer on this special day. Which is why school boards should take into account spending time with more family during this special season. So Christmas is a time to cheer and enjoy your time with family and friends as another year draws to a close and where 90% of the world celebrates the birth of Christ.

In addition to Christmas, we have the holiday of Easter. There are a few special days leading up to Easter including lent, Good Friday, and Ash Wednesday. Lent is the season of reflection and preparation before all Christians celebrate Easter.  Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. On Ash Wednesday we start 40 days of lent, Christians replicate Jesus’s sacrifice by taking something away from them for 6 and ½ week.“Lent is a time when some Christians try to overcome their own faults because they believe that it was man's sin that led Jesus to be crucified.”We also come across a day of sorrow which is Good Friday. Good Friday is the day when Jesus Christ was respected on the cross, it represents his victory over death. Easter was the day that he came back to life and visited his follower one more time then went back up to Heaven to be with god. It is a time to celebrate Jesus going to heaven. Christians gather together on Easter Sunday to remember Jesus Christ. “For Christians, the dawn of Easter Sunday with its message of new life is the high point of the Christian year.” You may think these holidays are average and that everyone celebrates them. But there is the true meaning behind all of these special days for Christians, which is why I think we should get more days off for Christmas and Easter.