EarthDiverse: learn about important global religious festivals
EarthDiverse wishes our Muslim family and friends a warm and happy Eid celebration.
Eid al-Adha, also known as the "Feast of the Sacrifice" is the second and the largest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Islam shares this tradition with Judaism, and honours Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (in the Jewish tradition) or Ishmael (in the Islamic tradition; Qur’an: Surah As-Saaffat 37:102). This story is well-known in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 22) and is referred to as the Akedah. It is considered by both Jews and Muslims as an act of obedience to God's will. However, before Abraham could sacrifice his son, and because of his willingness to do so, God provided him with a lamb to sacrifice in his son's place.
In commemoration of this intervention, animals are ritually sacrificed in the Islamic tradition. Part of the meat is consumed by the family that offers the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy. Sweets and gifts are exchanged, and extended family members and friends visit each other.
In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijja and lasts for four days.
Would you like a free copy of our February 2025 issue?
Kia ora neighbours. We give away free copies to readers whose recipes are used in our magazine. We're still on the hunt for tomato recipes, so send your family's favourite way to use up your homegrown harvest, to: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. If we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of the mag
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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60.7% Summer
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37.4% Winter
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
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