Religion Etiquette

Puzzled about a religious custom or ceremony? Send email to confused@beliefnetstaff.com.

Baby Rituals

• Baby-Naming
  • Gift etiquette for Jewish baby-naming ceremonies
  • Why do Jews name babies after deceased relatives?
• Circumcision
  • How can I suppress my maternal instincts at a Jewish circumcision?
• Godparents
  • Should the godfather tip the priest?
  • Can I tell my godchild I disagree with her parents' values?
  • How did the godparent tradition start?
  • Can I godfather a child from a different denomination?
  • Can Jewish relatives be godparents to my Catholic baby?
  • Is being the sandak the Jewish equivalent to being a godparent?
• Welcoming Infants
  • What's a Unitarian infant-welcoming ceremony called?

Customs & Laws

• Buddhist
  • Does bowing to a Buddha statue mean that I worship him?
  • Why do meditators remove their shoes?
  • Why do Buddhists rub statues of the Buddha?
  • Etiquette when interacting with a Lama
• Catholic Christian
  • How should I address Catholic religious leaders?
• Christian
  • Which day is the Christian Sabbath?
  • Orthodox house blessings
• Hindu
  • Why are odd numbers lucky?
• Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays?
• Judaism
  • Why do Jews cover their heads?
  • Why do Jews wear prayer shawls?
  • Why don't some Jews touch members of the opposite sex?
  • Why isn't there an 'O' in 'G-d'?
• Wiccan
  • Do Wiccans fly on broomsticks and cast spells?

Death & Dying

• Buddhist
  • How should I offer condolences to Buddhist friends?
• Christian
  • Do I have to go up to the casket at a viewing?
• Christian Science
  • Are funeral services optional?
• Hindu
  • Meanings of rituals and items at a Hindu funeral
  • How do Hindus commemorate a death?
  • Why do Hindus wear white to funerals?
  • Should I send a bereaved Hindu flowers?
• Islam
  • Does Islam allow cremation?
• Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Etiquette and gifts at a funeral
• Judaism
  • What food/gift item should I bring to a funeral?
  • What should I send to a Jewish funeral?
  • Do Jews always collect donations at funeral services?
• Mien
  • What should I bring to a Mien death ceremony?
• Other
  • Nancy Reagan showed how to touch casket

Food & Diet

• Catholic
  • Are there dietary restrictions during Lent?
• Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Do Jehovah's Witnesses eat pork?
• Jewish
  • What are the Jewish dietary laws?
  • What should I serve my Jewish coworkers?
• Mormon
  • Do Mormons have dietary restrictions?
• Muslim
  • Do Muslims have dietary restrictions?

Gifts

• Baptism
  • What should I give my baptism sponsor? 
  •  What is the customary gift for godparents?
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah
  • What is the customary gift for a Bat Mitzvah?
  • Can I bring a Bar Mitzvah gift to the synagogue?
  • Cash gifts: How much is appropriate?
• Birth
  • Gift etiquette for Jewish baby-naming ceremony
  • Gifts for Muslim newborns
• First Communion
  • Sacred and secular gifts for First Communion
• Holidays
  • What should I give for Christmas, Hanukkah, Rohatsu, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and Yule?
  • What should I give for the Jewish New Year?
• Travel
  • Should I give a gift to a friend who is going on a pilgrimage to Hindu holy sites?
• Wedding
  • What should I give for a Baha'i wedding?

Holidays

• Buddhist
  • What should I give for Rohatsu presents?
• Christian
  • Do Jews celebrate Valentine's Day?
  • What should I give for Christmas presents?
  • Is it tacky to invite non-Christians to Christmas parties?
  • If I'm not Christian, what should I do at a Christmas party?
  • Are Easter eggs pagan?
  • What does Good Friday mean to Hindus?
• Hindu
  • What's Diwali, and should I bring presents?
• Jehovah's Witnesses
  • Do Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate Thanksgiving?
• Jewish
  • Valentine's Day vs. 'Heart Day'?
    
  • What is Hanukkah about?
  • What should I give for Hanukkah presents?
  • How do Jews greet each other on holidays?
  • What is a sukkah?
  • Can a non-Jew recite the Four Questions at a Passover seder?
  • What should I give my friends for the Jewish New Year?
  • What gift should I give to the hostess of a seder?
• Muslim
  • What should I give for Ramadan presents?
• Other
  • Ringing in the not-so-new year
  • What should I give for Yule presents?
  • What should I give for Kwanzaa presents?
  • Do Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate holidays?

Interfaith

• Babies
  • Can I godfather a child from a different denomination?
• Food
  • What's the difference between kosher and halal?
• Holidays
  • Is January 1 the beginning of the new year for non-Christians?
  • How should a Christian greet a Jew on Hanukkah?
  • What's the difference between a Christian and a Hindu conception of Good Friday?
  • Is it disrespectful to celebrate a birthday during Easter weekend?
  • Can a non-Jewish child recite the Four Questions at a Passover seder?
  • If I'm not Christian, what should I do at a Christmas party?
• Intercommunion
  • Can an Episcopalian receive Communion in a Catholic church?
  • Should a Catholic take Communion in an Episcopalian church?
• Music
  • Can I listen to the sacred songs of religions that are not my own?
• Other
  • Do children take the religion of the mother or the father?
• Prayer
  • How do I pray at a multifaith public event?
  • Can I pray to a Catholic saint on behalf of a Jewish person?
• Proselytizing
  • How do I deal with a proselytizing coworker?
  • How do I keep someone from trying to convert me?
  • How do I avoid people giving me tracts?
• Weddings
  • Can a Presbyterian minister officiate at a wedding in a Catholic church?
  • What's an "unprogrammed" Quaker wedding?
    
  • Can a Jew be a bridesmaid at a Christian wedding?
  • Can a Presbyterian give a toast at a Unitarian wedding?
  • Will a Presbyterian minister officiate at a wedding of two Catholics whose previous marriages weren't annulled?
• Worship
  • Can a Christian wear a Jewish prayer shawl?
  • Can non-Muslims attend Friday prayer services at a mosque?
  • Did my child offend worshipers by drawing pictures of Jesus in a mosque?

Kids

• Christianity
  • Should I tell my kids I think Easter eggs are pagan?
  • How can my child reject going to Bible camp with her friend?
• Islam
  • Did my child offend worshipers by drawing pictures of Jesus in a mosque?
• Judaism
  • Can a non-Jewish kid recite the Four Questions at a Passover seder?
• Other
  • Do children take the religion of the mother or father?

Public Display of Religion

• In schools
  • What's wrong with invoking Allah in the classroom?
• On airplanes
  • Why do Jews pray on flights to Israel?

Rites of Passage

• Baptism
  • Do I need to be rebaptized if I join the United Methodist Church?
  • Should I give my baptism sponsor a gift?
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah
  • Can I bring a gift to the synagogue?
  • Why is the music always so loud?
• Confirmation
  • Steps to Communion and Confirmation
  • What should I say to the presiding bishop?

Social Issues

• Hinduism
  • Is it OK to express my feminism in India?
• Islam
  • What is the Muslim stance on homosexuality?
  • Are DKNY jeans with the Qur'an written on them offensive?
• School Prayer
  • What's wrong with invoking Allah in the classroom?
• Other
  • What happened to A.D. and B.C.?
  • Orthodox Jewish spelling: Why no 'O' in 'G-d'?
  • How should I handle religious chain mail?
  • Advice on visiting the sick
  • When ethics and etiquette clash

Travel

• Africa
  • What should I know about religions in Africa?
• India
  • What will my friend see on a pilgrimage to Hindu holy sites?
  • Is it OK to express my feminism in India?
• United States
  • How can I get invited to Native American sacred ceremonies?
  • Follow-up on Native American ceremonies
  • How do I find an Amish church?

Weddings & Marriage

• Anglican
  • What should an atheist do at an Anglican wedding?
• Bahai
  • What should I give for a Baha'i wedding?
• Catholic Christian
  • Will a Presbyterian minister officiate at a wedding of two Catholics whose previous marriages weren't annulled?
• Christian
  • Can a Presbyterian minister officiate a wedding in a Catholic church?
  • Is it OK for a Jew to be a bridesmaid at a Christian wedding?
• Eastern Orthodox Christian
  • Can I give Orthodox icons as wedding gifts to non-Orthodox Christians?
• Hindu
  • What happens at a Hindu wedding ceremony?
  • Can I bring a gift to a Hindu wedding ceremony?
• Jewish
  • Am I automatically invited to the wedding reception?
• Methodist
  • How long do Methodist weddings last?
• Mormon
  • Do Mormons believe in polygamy?
• Unitarian
  • Is it OK to mention God in the wedding toast?

Worship Services

• African Methodist Episcopal
  • What's an AME service like?
• Amish
  • Will the Amish mind if I attend their service?
• Buddhist
  • How do I meditate at a Buddhist temple?
• Catholic Christian
  • Do I have to genuflect in a Catholic church?
  • Can an Episcopalian take communion in a Catholic church?
  • Should a Catholic take communion in an Episcopalian church?
  • Should the godfather tip the priest at a baby-naming ceremony?
  • How to behave at a Roman Catholic Mass
• Christian
  • Do I have to contribute to the collection plate?
  • What should I expect from a gay and lesbian church service?
  • How can I stop cell phones from going off in church?
• Eastern Orthodox Christian
  • Why do Orthodox Christians cross themselves differently?
  • How should I respond to the greeting 'Christ is in our midst'?
  • Why do Orthodox Christians burn incense in church?
• Ethical Culture
  • What happens at an Ethical Culture platform?
• Hindu
  • What happens in a Hindu temple?
  • Customs and manners in a Hindu temple
• Greek Orthodox
  • Do I have to follow rituals/prayers in church if I am of a different faith?
• Jewish
  • Is a Jewish house of worship called a temple or a synagogue?
• Muslim
  • Do I need to wash during a Sufi service?
  • Can non-Muslims attend Friday prayer services at a mosque?
  • What should I wear to a mosque?
  • Can I wear shoes in a mosque?
  • Can women wear slack/pants in a mosque?
• Pentecostal
  • Why do Pentecostal Christians speak in tongues?
• Quaker
  • What's an "unprogrammed" Quaker wedding?
  • What happens at Quaker meetings?
• Seventh-day Adventist
  • Why do they observe the Sabbath on Saturday?
• Shaker
  • Can I ask for a discount on Shaker furniture?
• Wiccan
  • What happens in a Wiccan service?