ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to look at five religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism and provides an introduction to them emphasizing those aspects which are perhaps more suitable for the education of children aged 5–12 years. These five have been chosen because it is these which are most common in Britain. As in all religions, festivals are highly important in the Christian round. The two principal festivals, Easter and Christmas, arise out of central events in the life of Christ. Within the Christian religion, marriage is intended as a lifelong union between a man and a woman, entered into freely. Absolutely central to the Christian faith is the person of Jesus Christ. Fasting is a feature of most religions and is a way of asserting the control of the spiritual over the material in an individual. All Muslims are urged to make once in their lives, the Major Pilgrimage, the Hajj, to Mecca.
