There is no need to talk about global celebrations on this day. But activists around the world, supporting the initiative of representatives of the Vegan community, organize all kinds of educational events. They organize charitable and informational events, they are focused on revealing the theme and essence of the holiday itself. Plus, this number always drops the end of the Vegetarian Awareness Month program.

The first of November cannot be fully called the day of honoring those who refused meat and other "forbidden" products. This date is an opportunity for vegans to make a name for themselves. Vegetarians themselves arrange celebrations designed to “stir up” humanity, make it live according to the laws of nature, and pay close attention to the existence of such a problem.

Adherents of the Vegan Society promoted a special way of life based on a strict vegetarian diet, excluding the use of products obtained as a result of the exploitation or killing of representatives of the animal world.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Vegan Society, a holiday was established dedicated to supporters of a plant-based nutritious diet, who wear clothing, shoes, and accessories from artificial materials. Main purpose international day vegan is initiation maximum number people to a vegetarian lifestyle, which has a number of advantages.

Holiday November 1 - International Vegan Day - Vegetarian

Strange word- is not it?! But this is at first glance. It is formed from the first three and the last two English name vegetarian (vegan), which in Russian literally sounds like a vegetarian, and in a broader sense, vegetarian, vegetarianism. It was first heard in 1847 in England, when Donald Watson, a well-known opponent of animal nutrition in the country, founded the Vegetarian Society in London. By the way, International Vegan Day ends Vegetarian Awareness Month, which begins on October 1, which marks the onset of world day vegetarianism.

In vegetarianism, to clarify, there are four directions. The first is lacto-vegetarianism. Representatives of this kind of humanity allow the consumption of milk and lactic acid products. But they completely exclude meat, fish, seafood from the diet. The second trend is ovo-vegetarianism. Its furious supporters say a resolute no to meat, fish, dairy products, but at the same time they willingly eat eggs, and, of course, everything vegetable. Sometimes you just wonder how talented they are at preparing delicious salads and egg dishes! The third direction is Lacto-ovo vegetarianism. It is especially popular and in demand in Europe and allows eggs, milk, dairy products, but fish and seafood, in their opinion, like meat, should not be categorically eaten. And finally, the fourth direction is Vaganism. It recommends eating only food plant origin. The rest (meat, fish, milk and even honey) is a strict taboo.

An instructive statement is that vegetarianism in one form or another is widely developed on all five continents of the Earth. It is followed by one sixth of the world's population. And if specifically - almost a billion inhabitants. At the same time, you can name figures for some countries. In England itself, which has already celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of this movement, as you know, 59.5 million people live. Six million are vegetarians. In the US, the population is much larger - 278.3 million, therefore, vegetarians too - 11 million, while 42 percent of them consider the killing of animals to be murder. In Spain, the figures are appropriate: 39.4 million of its inhabitants account for 788 thousand vegetarians. 58.6 million people live in France, 1 million and 172 thousand of them are vegetarians. Well, what is the situation in Russia? According to these indicators, we are not ahead, but behind the whole planet. Of the 150 million people living in the country, vegetarians of all forms account for only two hundred thousand (!?). And by the way, every year there are fewer supporters of eating plant products. This is largely due to our harsh climate. People logically believe that without meat, fish on some cabbage leaves, bunches of carrots and other things, you can easily stretch your legs!

There are many celebrities among vegetarians. Of ours, for example, Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina". He even once released a study entitled "On the unreasonableness of meat-eating." A staunch supporter of vegetarianism is the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. And also the Russians - Alexander Revzin, director, Nikolai Drozdov, zoologist, doctor of biological sciences, professor, host of the popular program "In the Animal World", Rashid Nurgaliyev, ex-Minister of Internal Affairs, Nadezhda Babkina, head of the ensemble "Russian Song" and many others. Among the foreigners are talented film actors - Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Albert Einstein - and the list goes on and on.
Of course - International Vegan Day is celebrated in the world widely and with a wide variety of events. But the main thing is active propaganda among the population of eating food of plant origin, a ban on killing for the sake of one's greedy appetite of the animal world!

On November 1, vegans around the world celebrate their holiday - World Vegan Day.

The holiday appeared on November 1, 1994, when the first "Vegan Society" (Vegan Society), created in the UK back in 1944, celebrated its 50th anniversary. On this day, events and information campaigns dedicated to veganism are held.

Vegan Day concludes Vegetarian Awareness Month, which began on October 1 - in.

Every year, the number of supporters of the rejection of meat and other products associated with the exploitation and killing of animals in the world is steadily growing. One of the main reasons for veganism is: unwillingness to be involved in the killing of animals and abuse with them.

The ethics of veganism considers the question of the moral right of a person to deprive animals of life in order to satisfy their needs. First of all, this concerns the question of whether the consumption of meat food is compatible with the morality of a highly civilized person.

It is an important incentive to stop consuming animal products. To date, many studies have been conducted proving the harm of animal food. Vegan nutrition provides the human body with everything it needs to normal development and suitable for all ages.

A well-balanced plant-based diet is enriched with protein, iron, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. Plant-based sources of these nutrients, typically low in saturated fat, high in fiber and antioxidants, help reduce some of the world's current health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Animal husbandry leads to. The production of meat and other livestock products places a heavy burden on the environment. The overwhelming amount of grain feed required for meat production is the cause of deforestation, loss of habitat and extinction of species.

The United Nations has been issuing reports for several years now that large farms collectively generate more greenhouse gas emissions than Automotive industry the whole earth. A study published by Chalmers University of Technology boldly states that in order to effectively combat climate change, we must drastically change our eating habits, namely reducing the amount of meat and dairy products in our diets.

Having analyzed modern system nutrition, declared that eating meat harms everyone and everything, and the rejection of it will turn out to be of great benefit to the world.

Scientists at Oxford University that the rejection of animal food could not only save millions human lives by 2050 and save billions of dollars in medical costs, but also prevent climate change by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from animal husbandry. The research report was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

VEGAN congratulates its like-minded people - vegans, as well as those who are just starting their journey, realizing the horror of the violence committed by humanity against animals! Patience, success and new victories to all! Be happy!

"Vegan Freak"
November 1 is International Vegan Day

World Vegan Day has been celebrated annually since 1994 on November 1, the anniversary of the founding of the Vegan Society, founded in the UK in 1944. Veganism is very popular today, a lot is written about it, it is often recommended. Vegan Freak is not just a book. This is a guide to action for anyone who, as a vegan, feels uncomfortable around "normal" people or dreads the mere thought of switching to a strict vegetarian diet.

The Vegan Freak is a guide to using conversational and behavioral tactics to communicate with family, friends, and other members of the majority. Finally, it is a useful database: the text contains almost everything you need to know about animal rights violations, their consequences and alternatives to established practices - from exposing the system of industrial animal husbandry to a review fashion brands clothes, not involved in the exploitation of the smaller brothers.

Chapter 2 Animal Rights

To meat-eaters, we vegans are pathetic dicks. The killers. Yes Yes exactly. We kill unrepentantly, often boiling our prey alive or roasting it alive with no thought of the life and freedom we take away and the pain we inflict. Sometimes we even cut our victims finely and eat with garlic, full of delight. We are sick and perverted. We are merciless tyrants with no pity for the oppressed.

Are we considered such because we admitted that we rolled up bloody orgies? Nope. We are just trying on a suit sewn by meat-eaters.

For them, driven into an intellectual corner, we vegans are the Hannibal lecturers of the vegetable world. One has only to mention that you are an ethical vegan, as some omnivore instantly raises his tail and begins to “rub out” about “plant rights”. His reasoning is that if you care about animal rights, you should also care about the rights of the flora. And while many vegans do try to apply environment the least damage, omnivores try to achieve something completely different with their criticism. They want to destroy our arguments for veganism with thousands of mosquito bites, because if they splatter our values ​​with mud, they can get an indulgence for themselves in the form of the right not to think about the direct or passive struggle that we have as vegans.

And so you will listen all your life to whining about the exploitation, suffering and killing of plants, while the omnivore eats a chicken with a triumphant grin, apparently forgetting that it takes more than one kilogram of cereals to produce a pound of chicken meat. Therefore, if an omnivore really cared about the rights of plants, he would eat only a few grains of wheat, instead of feeding sacks of cereals to those animals on the farm, whose dead flesh he later munched on with gusto. But these are trifles. It's much more fun to goad vegans by calling them hangmen.

On top of that, plant rights advocates are ignoring some common sense. Let's arrange a small brainstorm. Let's do an experiment with broccoli and a piglet. Let's touch the broccoli with a red-hot poker. What happened? Nothing: the broccoli is a little fried (why it doesn’t smell very good), but it doesn’t scream, twitch, or show any reaction, because it doesn’t have a nervous system and pain receptors. If you do the same with a pig, it will most likely squeal in pain and run away. Since it is sometimes difficult to say something for sure about the sensitivity specific person or an animal, things like a high-pitched cry are a great help in making reasonable assumptions about its well-being and condition. In addition to the fact that the piglet uses vocal and behavioral cues to let us know how it is, it also knows that it has nervous system and pain receptors. And the plant? It leads a "vegetable" lifestyle and feels everything in a similar way, let's say.

Eating meat is a part of people's lives. In order for this part to change, the whole, that is, the whole life, must first change. Of course, it happens that changes in life begin with the refusal to eat meat, but this happens infrequently. The habit of eating meat is more likely to be called a symptom of the disease, rather than its cause. Until the cause is eliminated, it is useless to fight the symptoms.

The depth of the absurdity of the struggle for the rights of plants clearly shows how far people are willing to go to deny the fact that they indirectly cause suffering to animals. Omnivorous creatures are more or less responsible for the bloodbaths in slaughterhouses, even if they are ready to attack vegans for eating the notorious broccoli. Yes, the universe is not easy.

Sadly, but these reproaches have to listen to any vegan, especially if he is an ethical vegan. The rampant narcissism of the consumer society can still forgive veganism as a manifestation of concern for own health. Tell them you want to lose a few kilos or whatever high level cholesterol, and they will fully support your decision, even if they think it's a little extreme. They will most likely take your side, saying that you are very "brave" - ​​because you are ready to suffer, refusing animal products.

But if you blurt out that you are a vegan, because you think that animals should not suffer for the pleasure of people, you will immediately be written down as a freak. The moment you happen to mention animal rights, people stare at you like you just farted deafeningly and fragrantly.

The most striking thing about this behavior for vegans is that most meat eaters have their own cats and / or dogs and they are well aware that their pets are able to feel pain, experience sensations such as joy, sadness and delight, and have every right not to suffer. .

However, due to social arrangements imposed on us, as well as due to tradition, tastes and habits, we continue to take away from animals what they deserve: freedom from pain and exploitation and the opportunity to live. full life as conscious beings. And instead of thinking critically about the extreme suffering contained in every gram of meat, eggs or dairy products, and how we exploit animals for our own comfort, omnivores, as usual, worry about how much they will miss chicken wings, hamburgers and cheese. We know that we are not the only ones who see this balance of forces of good and evil.

Based on such an inadequacy in the perception of living beings in our culture, we will take out all the harshness about animal rights on you. We will discuss some ethical, environmental and physiological causes about becoming and staying vegan. We emphasize the ethical dimension of veganism, using logical arguments about pain and sensitivity to argue that the exploitation of animals for our needs is morally unacceptable.

We outline the current philosophical framework on this issue and insist that we must develop a culture of defending the rights to a life without suffering. Our main argument is that animals are not property that we can dispose of as we please, and we will explore the common root of oppression of people and animals (is it permissible to say "capitalism"?) and demonstrate how the rights of people and animals are intertwined with each other. friend.

In conclusion, we will consider how catastrophic the impact of industrial animal husbandry on the lives of people, animals and the planet. We will also break the logic of the popular argument about veganism that really pisses us off. Wrapping up, we will evaluate veganism in terms of health benefits and discuss animal rights in everyday life.

But before we begin, we will allow ourselves one important remark.

Although we know a lot about what is happening in circuses, zoos, fisheries, fur factories, laboratories and hunting, we believe that the most important issue today is industrial animal husbandry. First of all, this is the most common way of oppressing animals by humans. In addition, it is in this area that the highest number of murders occurs. For this reason, we are focusing on agriculture, paying less attention to problems in other areas of operation. Don't think what we believe fur coats normal that dissecting animals is useful or that bullfighting is fun. We don't question the fact that it all "sucks" and hope that things like this will end soon.

Now let's talk about a sadist named Simon.

A sadist named Simon

In his book An Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or Your Dog, Gary Francione 1 offers a disarming concept for meat-eating theorists that illustrates the problems with the perception of animals in human culture. It is as follows. Imagine f-sadistic Simon bullying his dog by burning him with a blowtorch. Now ask yourself the unfunny question: “Is this okay?” If you are in the same boat with us, you will answer unequivocally: “Never mind!” Any sane person will agree that there is something unnatural in this. As far as I can tell, Simon causes incredible suffering to the dog. And if you ask him why he does this, he will calmly answer that he gets great pleasure from the process.

This will seem outrageous to most reasonable people: some slut is torturing a dog just because he likes it. He can't give any other reason. Let's make the bold assumption that you don't have to be a vegan to know there's something wrong with a guy. But what's the problem? The vast majority would answer that the dog feels pain and any person is obliged to relieve it of this pain. Meanwhile, it is in the interests of the dog to avoid torture. Everything seems to be correct, right? To top it off, many would say that there is simply no need for livelihoods.

Reasonable people tend to extend the same logic to other animals. Many dudes and dudes believe that cows, chickens and pigs should not be burned with a soldering iron either; and when they witness the bullying of these animals, this bullying shocks them in earnest. Blatant cruelty seems to them absolutely unnecessary, because they understand that animals suffer. Most know about it and oppose it such practice(curiously, outside of a slaughterhouse, where Simon could "just do his job," he would have been prosecuted for animal cruelty).

A hardliner should only be a strict vegan (vegetarians eat milk and eggs), give preference to natural and organic food. Thus, most products that come from third world countries are also banned: sugar, chocolate, tropical fruits, coffee and tea - due to harmful conditions labor in which they are produced.

Since the majority agrees with the conclusion that all animals are worthy of respect and relief from pain, how can they eat dairy products, eggs, meat, fish and poultry? If we agree that animals should not suffer for someone else's pleasure, how can we allow them to go under the knife and then eat? Vegans demonstrate that it is more than possible to exist without any animal products, without suffering mentally and physically. If we take for granted the fact that we can easily live without these products, then the craving for meat and everything else is explained only by traditions and preferences. And if we really want to reduce animal suffering to zero, it turns out that our preferences in this case have no more right to exist than Simon's desire to burn a dog with a blowtorch. And point.

Despite this, we inherited a world in which living beings are killed, dismembered and eaten, considering such actions the norm, and bullying animals on the street by stupid teenagers is “unacceptable”. As soon as our whims come into play, we see tradition and the natural course of history in vicious practice.

Yes, eating meat may be a tradition, but just as well in many countries it is still considered a tradition to exclude women from certain positions, to deny homosexuals the rights given to straight people, or to discriminate against people based on skin color. If we turn to the arguments about the "natural course of history", then how did it happen that we never hear about natural course stories of a bear eating a child (as often happens in New York State) or a crocodile attacking a human? Besides, what's natural about going to the store and buying a bloody hunk covered in styrofoam?

Here you can object, they say, Simon mocks the dog, and the animals that are eaten do not suffer directly. True, in theory, cruelty is not provided for on the way through the slaughterhouse to the plate, but we must not forget that birds, such as chickens, have their beaks cut off so that they do not injure their neighbors in cramped concentration camps, having become rabid from hellish conditions; that, say, piglets are castrated (without any anesthesia) so that they grow fatter; that horns are removed from cattle (also, of course, without anesthesia).

This is only a hundredth of what is happening on livestock farms, where animals do not have access to enough air, light and space. For example, hens that lay eggs spend their whole lives in cramped cages without the ability to move until they are sent to the slaughterhouse. Their beaks are removed so that they do not peck themselves or their neighbors to death from permanently endured mental trauma. As for roosters, useless for egg production, they are usually thrown into garbage containers, mutilated and ground into mush - but alive!

It should also not be forgotten that many animals (for example, cows) are killed by cutting their throats, while hanging upside down by their ankles on chains. And although killing in many slaughterhouses involves stunning, this practice does not prove to be very effective. In a word, the modern agricultural machine places the animals in conditions that completely and permanently subject our lesser brethren to human whims, without concern for their feelings and interests. Perhaps we do not seek to bring suffering to animals, but the methods that are practiced cannot be called humane. And why? Because people like the taste of eggs, milk and meat. There are simply no other reasons.

Yes, ovo-lacto-vegetarians, you read that right: we included eggs and milk in the list. Some of you have thought that by giving up meat you gave a powerful kick to the killing and pain industry, but unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The moment cows stop producing enough milk or can no longer conceive, they become beef.

In addition, the production of veal is inextricably linked with the production of milk. When a cow gives birth to a bull, the farmers have nothing to do with it, except put it under the knife. When hens get old and are no longer able to produce eggs, they also go for meat. If someone suddenly did not know: there are no fabulous pastures for pensioner cows, where they live out their days in gratitude for record milk yields; there are no nursing homes for exhausted chickens. But it is very pleasant to think that you do not support the massacre by eating eggs and cheese, because you do not eat the animals themselves. But if you consider it unjust that animals suffer for the pleasure of people, you must admit that neither eggs nor milk are good.

This is not written to offend ovo-lacto-vegetarians, but to emphasize that it is necessary to be aware that obtaining milk and eggs for human needs brings pain and death to animals. We can live just as well without eggs, meat, and dairy products as we can without animal abuse. In both cases, everything depends only on our ability to adequately treat our desires and whims. Is our craving for animal products sufficient reason for 500 animals being killed for meat in the time you have been reading this book? How strong is this argument for 8 billion living beings to be sent to slaughter every year in the USA alone?

____________
1 Francione, Gary Lawrence (b. 1954) is a legal scholar and author of several books on animal rights issues. His theoretical research explores three main issues: the property status of animals; differences between animal rights and animal welfare; a theory of animal rights based on their ability to feel.

World Vegan Day has been celebrated for over 20 years. The holiday was born in Europe on November 1, 1994. It concludes Vegetarian Awareness Month, which begins on October 1st. On the final day, information events and actions aimed at educating society are held. There are themed films and programs on TV, and vegan restaurants are packed with customers. All more willing Join the Vegan Society. Every year the number of people who adhere to a vegetarian lifestyle is increasing. On the eve of the holiday - Vegan Day 2017, we will tell you about vegans, their history and nutrition.

The ideology of the vegan society

Veganism is the most strict form of vegetarianism, consisting in the maximum rejection of products in the production of which animals were exploited or killed. The word itself, denoting a person who does not use the above products, “vegan”, was coined by the founder of the Vegan Society, D. Watson, by abbreviating English word"vegetarian".

D. Watson devoted himself to the judgment that veganism is able to give everything so that a person can answer important question: what does he live for? According to him, in order not to get sick, you don’t need to make an effort - modern transport allows you to bring any products for vegan nutrition from any part of the world. He called to join his community, to become healthy and without the heavy burden of conscience about murders and cruelty to animals, to add a dozen wonderful years life.

It is believed that a person by his natural origin was a vegan, which is proved by the physiology of the human body. The number of followers of the vegetarian trend is growing every year, people refuse meat and products created by cruelty to animals. They do not eat meat, eggs, fish and do not use products that have been tested on animals. The main reason for turning to vegans is the unwillingness to be a participant in the exploitation of unfortunate animals.

The ideology of the vegan direction was the consideration of the issue of moral human rights. Does he have the right to use smaller brothers to meet needs that are often optional and have a harmless counterpart. Modern man has the ability to recognize animal cruelty and stop eating meat, stop testing on animals, and stop buying furs.

Benefits of a Vegan Lifestyle

Human health is also an important incentive to stop consuming animal products. A lot of research has been done confirming the harmfulness of eating meat products.


Thoughtful, convenient vegan nutrition can provide human body necessary nutrients, promote development and suitable for any age category. Right balanced menu enriched with essential organic substances, such as vitamins, calcium, protein and iron, as well as minerals necessary for healthy development person. It is low in saturated fat and enough fiber, antioxidants. The substances listed herbal products, help to reduce the set modern diseases, on their list are diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. This is at a time when animal husbandry is rapidly leading to a serious environmental disaster. The widespread production of meat products and animal husbandry is bad for the environment. For example, the need for grain fodder makes it necessary to reduce the forest area, burn the fields, thereby destroying the habitat of animals, contributing to the extinction of species.

The UN writes with stable regularity about the reduction of farms, as they contribute to the greenhouse effect more than the auto industry. Researchers say that in the fight against the climate, humanity must radically change its diet, reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products.

How to become a real vegan

To join the ranks of vegetarianism, it is not enough to wake up and understand that you do not want to be involved in cruelty to animals, stop eating meat, fish and seafood, use products created by killing or exploiting animals.


The transition to a vegetarian diet should be smooth, gradual, without sudden changes. stressful situations for the body. It is best to consult with a dietitian who can help you avoid animal products and teach you about a balanced diet.

From the outside, it may seem that the vegan diet is meager and not replete with variety and tastes, because main idea Veganism is the refusal of products of animal origin. But it's not. Vegetarian cuisine is tasty and healthy.
A vegan diet allows you to eat cereals, vegetables and fruits, berries, nuts, pasta and bread, seeds. Such a list of products is enough for the preparation of first courses, desserts and drinks. In addition, the manufacturer offers soy products (meat products and cheese) for vegan diets. The assortment of modern supermarkets also provides desserts, such as chocolate for vegans. With such a variety of products, you should not be afraid of monotonous food.

Vegan holiday gift

On International Vegan Day, it is also customary to congratulate adherents of a vegetarian lifestyle. What gift to choose a vegetarian?


A good gift for a vegan is kitchen utensils. Since the essence of a vegan lies in food, a vegetarian pays especially much attention to cooking.

• blender or chopper good gift for kitchen.
• An excellent gift would be a microfarm for growing grains.
• The oil press is a good gift, it can be used to easily prepare nut butter.
• Vacuumer - for vegan necessary thing, because he does not always have the opportunity to eat in a restaurant.
• A dehydrator will help a vegan make fruit and vegetable chips, an alternative to store-bought ones.

And you can also give a book with culinary recipes for vegetarian cuisine. A cookbook is not only the recipes written down in it, but also the ground for fantasy and experimentation with new dishes.

When buying clothes as a gift, it is worth remembering that it should only be of plant origin. Furs, wool or silk are taboo for a vegan.

A basket with a variety of seasonings, fragrant fruits, tea and spices is also suitable as a gift. But remember that you can not give honey - honey is obtained from bees that live outside the will.
A gift for a woman can be a set of cosmetics that are not tested on animals. It is very difficult to find such cosmetics - it will become a valuable gift.

If you have no idea about the life of your vegan friend, what he needs and what he has, give him sets of utensils, such as cutting boards, jars, and more.
A good move would be a certificate to the store with products for vegans.

International Vegan Day - interesting holiday, and even if you do not belong to the vegetarian community, try dishes from their diet, see television programs and participating in promotions for your own diversity is a useful and interesting activity.