November 1st! World Vegan Day ushers in an entire month of celebrating and promoting the joys and undeniable benefits of being vegan. Every year, there is plenty to be joyous about as veganism continues to evolve and become a mainstream lifestyle. Celebrities, grocery stores, athletes, health practitioners, and even fast-food companies are now embracing the cause.
What is World Vegan Day anyhow?
The Vegan Society founded World Vegan Day in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the UK Vegan Society (est. November 1944). The Vegan Society was born from The Vegetarian Society when Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, and friends recognized the importance of not consuming any products from animals.
The society designated World Vegan Day not only as a day of celebration but also as a day to educate friends, families, and strangers about the values of vegan living and to share vegan meals. This day, which later stretched into World Vegan Month, is positioned conveniently to coincide with the start of our traditionally meat-heavy holiday season. What better time to plan some outreach?
What will you do to celebrate?
The month is rich in vegan activities — some are grand, such as 2018’s Record Silent Line in Europe or 2021’s launch of Triangle Vegan Restaurant Week in North Carolina, and others modest. All are worthwhile. If you haven’t planned ahead, we have no lack of suggestions for quick and easy outreach. Whatever you do, commit to doing something! A good starting point is to revisit our blog post, 25 Ideas to Inspire Your Animal Rights Activism. In that post, you’ll find loads of ideas for short-notice activism, such as “chalktivism,” wearing your activism (pins, t-shirts, vegan tattoos), leafleting, and more. You can also check out our 2020 post, How to Be a Vegan Activist During a World Crisis, for COVID-safe activities and other ideas that don’t require in-person gatherings.
Outreach can be as simple as:
- locating vegan events (including virtual events) in your area and participating or volunteering
- supporting your local vegan businesses by promoting them via social media or personal recommendations
- holding a potluck for non-vegan family and friends
- leafleting with simple food sampling, such as coffee with plant-based milk and cookies
- or, committing to planning your next great outreach activity!
via vegfund.org
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