Red, White, and Whole

Reha and her parents are Hindu. Their religion is important to them, as it informs their cultural beliefs and practices, and this is reflected in their daily life. For example, instead of “mom,” Reha calls her mother “Amma,” the Tamil word for mother. Reha’s parents speak Tamil and Kannada, two of the many languages spoken in India, though Reha only speaks English. Hinduism is the largest religion in India and the third-largest religion in the world, with approximately 1.35 billion followers worldwide. It is also one of the oldest living religions in the world, dating back to around 2000 BCE, though some people claim that it is even older. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, and the exact number of deities is up for debate. Some major deities include Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, and Saraswati, although many Hindus describe these various deities as aspects of one God. Some adherents to Hinduism are vegetarian, like Reha and her parents, because certain Hindu texts expound upon the virtue of not eating meat. However, not all Hindus are vegetarian, and there is a strong regional component to the various dietary trends in India.

Some Hindu holidays mentioned in Red, White, and Whole include Krishna Jayanti, Ganesha Puja, and Deepavali.