The way Sikhs dress is very much due to their religion. Men can be identified by the turban, which they wear over their head. The turban is usually made a material called “muslin” which is five metres long. The turban must be worn at all times for Sikh men when he is in public, but can be taken off in the privacy of his own home and when he goes to bed. Sikh women tend to wear Shalwar Kameez which is a long tunic and matching trousers. The reason for this is because women must dress modestly from head to toe. Guru Gobind Singh, the final Guru, gave the Sikhs the symbols of the Khalsa – known as the Panj Kakke or ‘Five K’s’ - so they could all be recognised. The five K’s are worn by all Sikhs who have been baptised. ‘Kesh’ is the long uncut hair symbolising complete devotion to God. ‘Kanga’ is a comb which symbolises discipline. ‘Kacca’ are shorts which symbolise spiritual freedom. The ‘Kara’ is a steel bracelet worn on the right wrist and symbolises strength. Last of all, the ‘Kirpan’ is a sword that symbolises authority and justice.
Sikhs (as Hindus also do) see the principle of ahimsa – the intention to avoid negative karmic influences which result from violence - as an integral part of their religion. Sikhs believe meat results in bad tempers, high blood pressures and cancers so many choose to become vegetarians.
Jewish men and women are expected to dress modestly at all times as tradition places more emphasis on the soul inside rather than physical features. Orthodox Jewish women tend to wear clothes that are not too bright or tight fitting, with sleeves that reach past the elbow and skirts that reach past the knees. Married Jewish women typically cover their hair as a sign that they are married. In public, Jewish men can be recognised by their long beards that they keep as a tradition of not shaving. Men also wear tassels on their trousers to remind themselves of God’s commandments; they also wear the tallit (prayer shawl) during prayer.
Judaism has a body of Jewish law that deals with what food they can or cannot eat and how these foods must be prepared- which is called ‘Kashrut’. They believe in only eating kosher meat; however some meats cannot be eaten at all such as the pig or the camel. Jews also believe that meat cannot be mixed with dairy – some Jews do not mix meat with fish. Any utensils that has touched meat cannot have touched dairy and vice versa. Most of these regulations mean that Jewish individuals have to prepare meals themselves or find Jewish restaurants that will follow the rules, which can be very difficult.
Muslim women and men are taught to dress modestly. Women are mostly recognised for their ‘hijab’ (white headscarf) which they use to cover their hair, and they also have to have their arms, torso and legs covered. Women’s clothing should cover the whole body except the face and hands, the clothing should be loose fitting and not describe the shape of the body. This can provide a problem for Muslim women as not a lot of shops can provide the clothing they need so they may have to go to tailors or specialist shops which are hard to find.
Muslim individuals can only eat ‘halal’ meat which includes meat being slaughtered in a certain way (which is similar to kosher). Prohibited foods are known as ‘haraam’. Haraam foods include pork, alcohol or carnivorous animals. Muslims also do not consume gelatine or foods that have gelatine as gelatine is usually made from pig. Muslims must go to halal butchers for their meat and cannot necessarily eat meat from any restaurant – they have to find restaurants that serve halal food which can be difficult in a western society.