Religion and culture are distinct things, though telling the difference can be hard sometimes. We discuss a few things from food to clothing to holidays on how different cultures participate in religions.

Takeaways: 

• Culture and Religion are not the same but they definitely influence each other.
• All religions have adopted cultural norms to some degree to make practicing easier.
• What is culture? Culture is food, art, celebrations, use of language, dress. 
• Culture influences the way people of the same religious group celebrate a holiday.
• Some holidays are celebrated bigger in one country than another (like Hanukkah in the US vs Israel), or sometimes a holiday won’t be celebrated in one culture at all, despite a common religion (like Three Kings Day in Spanish-speaking countries vs. the US).
• Getting out there and experiencing different cultures allows us to appreciate new perspectives. 
• An example of Religion vs. Culture is the food eaten on Jewish Passover between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. 
• The hijab is religious, but the interpretation of how much head/neck/body must be covered is cultural.
• It’s easy to judge others who appear “backwards” from you, but remember your people were likely there once too.
• People born into a cult really don’t know any different. By contrast, some people do choose to live in a strict religion.
• Be open to the answers you receive from another person. Don’t seek out answers to back up your preconceived thoughts. Ask from a place of true curiosity. 

Links

• https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-religion-and-culture/
• https://www.pbs.org/food/features/passover-seder-menu-with-sephardic-flavors/
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/five-myths/five-myths-about-hijab/2019/03/15/d1f1ea52-45f6-11e9-8aab-95b8d80a1e4f_story.html
• https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/death-funeral-rituals-in-world-religions/

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