Religion and Horticulture: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59472/vgzkhk80Keywords:
Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhsim, African traditionsAbstract
Religion is a composite of believes and practices that are directly connected with spirituality and affects people’s way of life. The common religions across the globe include; Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhsim and African traditions among others. Horticulture encompasses the science and art of growing flowers, fruits and vegetables. The horticultural sector is highly valuable in many aspects of religion. Flowers are largely grown for their aesthetic values and are used by various religions for landscaping around places of worship, and religious rituals and ceremonies such as burials weddings and are bouquets for the altars and pulpits decorations. Some specific flowers symbolize purity, divinity and spirituality, with some regarded with reverence as source of supernatural powers, while others have been used to emit fragrances that are believed to repel demonic powers. Vegetables are grown and utilized alongside the main dishes, for their soluble mineral salts, vitamins, and other essential compounds that can boost immunity. Religions such as the Hindu and Budha emphasize to their congregants being vegetarians as they worship the animals and therefore, they cannot eat meat. Christians have associated different colors of various vegetables and fruits with purity, Holy Spirit, faith, trust, royalty, crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The herbs and the spices are of equal importance in all the religions where some are used in burning incense at the altars, religious offerings, and rituals, culinary while others are used for medicinal purposes. Fruits symbolize faith, holiness, fruitfulness, significance purity, food, eternity etc. Fruits are sources of wine in most religious practices. Some religious practices either enhance or hinder the growth of the sector. Most people who practice traditional religion hardly accept new technologies and innovations, thus hinder the growth of the horticultural sector. In conclusion religion affects the type of horticultural plants, to be cultivated and consumed in each area. Religion also influences the uptake of relevant horticultural technologies and in the long run has a direct influence on the development of that area.
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