We recently posted a quiz reel that stumped a lot of people, and honestly, that is exactly why we love it. The question was simple: which world religions have relics?
Hint: there are four of them. Take a guess before you keep reading.
Got some answers in your head?
Good. Let’s dig in.
First, what is a relic?
A relic is a physical object connected to a holy person or sacred event. Sometimes it is a piece of someone’s body. Sometimes it is an object they touched, used, or left behind. What makes relics so interesting is that they turn something invisible, like faith, devotion, or memory, into something you can actually see and stand in front of.
For kids especially, that is powerful. Big spiritual ideas can feel abstract. A handprint pressed into stone is not abstract at all. It is right there.
Here are the four traditions, and what their relics look like.
1. Buddhism
In Buddhism, relics often take the form of cremated remains of the Buddha. They are frequently housed in beautiful dome-shaped structures called stupas. Some stupas are small and quiet. Others are enormous landmarks that pilgrims travel great distances to visit. The idea is the same: the relic gives people a place to gather, reflect, and feel close to the Buddha’s teachings.
2. Christianity
Christian relics can be the physical remains, and sometimes the entire bodies, of martyrs and saints. They also include objects connected to the life of Jesus, like fragments believed to be from the cross. For centuries, churches and cathedrals were built specifically to house and honor these relics, and many remain pilgrim destinations today.
3. Islam
Some of the most remarkable Islamic relics are kept in Istanbul, in the Sacred Trusts collection at Topkapi Palace. The collection includes objects attributed to figures across the tradition: a pot said to belong to Abraham, a staff associated with Moses, and strands of hair from the Prophet Muhammad’s beard. Visitors come not only to see the objects, but to experience the reverence with which they are kept.
4. Sikhism (Sikhi)
One treasured Sikh relic is Guru Nanak’s handprint, pressed into a boulder he is said to have stopped from rolling down a hillside. The site, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, draws visitors who want to stand where that story is remembered. A handprint in stone is the kind of detail that sticks with kids long after the lesson ends.
The thread that connects them
Here is what fascinates us most. Across four very different traditions, people hold onto tangible objects as a way to feel close to something sacred. A handful of ashes. A piece of wood. A strand of hair. A handprint.
These physical things help make big ideas real and touchable. That is true for adults, and it is especially true for children, who often understand the world best through their hands and their senses. Relics are a beautiful reminder that religion is not only something people read about. It is something people touch, gather around, and carry through generations.
Try this at home or in the classroom
Ask your kids: if you wanted to remember someone important to you forever, what object would you keep? Why that one? It is a simple question that opens up a real conversation about memory, meaning, and why humans across the world treat certain objects as sacred. You will be surprised what they come up with.
Keep exploring
Read the story behind Gurdwara Panja Sahib and Guru Nanak’s handprint.
Look up images of stupas together and talk about why a relic might be placed inside.
Learn more about the Sacred Trusts Collection housed in the Third Courtyard at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.