Reflections on the Festive Season

For many people, Christmas is a joyous time when people gather together to eat, drink, and exchange gifts, but for vegans it can be a challenging time indeed. For those of us who are aware of the appalling cruelty that plagues animals in the factory farming industry, the sight of traditional Christmas fare such as a pig or turkey on the table is hard to stomach. Which is why I was thrilled to experience a cruelty-free Christmas this year with other vegans who, like me, love and respect animals!

Vegans love to eat, and there was certainly a delicious array of international delicacies to choose from at our meat-free Christmas. Guests prepared scrumptious and exotic dishes from around the world, including tapokki (Korean rice cake), yummy mashed potatoes with garlic and onion, mock meat dishes (including Filipino favorites like lechon kebabs), rice (of course!), and a succulent selection of various vegetables.

Who could forget about dessert! After letting our stomachs take a break from the appetizing feast, it was time to indulge some more! The raw carrot cake was a mouthwatering experience, as was the famous Chinese dessert tang yuen (rice balls marinated in a sweet soup). Despite protesting about how full we were and how we couldn’t possibly eat any more, everybody managed to make room for some amazing vegan chocolate gelato!

My first Christmas with other vegans was a wonderful occasion with fantastic company, great food, fun, and laughter, but best of all, it was completely cruelty-free, which is the best Christmas gift that we can give animals! It also proved that a bunch of people can get together and enjoy a festive feast without blindly following a tradition that dictates what you can eat on specific days of the year. As human beings, we grow and evolve with every generation. Culture or customs are never an excuse for cruelty.

Do you want next year’s Christmas feast to be cruelty-free? Pledge to be veg today!

Posted by Samantha Pulsford