Author: Michelle Carr
Between making sure you got everyone on your list, to booking plane tickets, and everything in between, the holidays can be stressful – doesn’t it feel like you suddenly have a million more things to do around the holidays? With the elevated anxiety that often comes with this time of year, it’s easy to lose focus on what really matters. Don’t be a Scrooge, give thanks!
Here are my top 5 ways to give thanks this season:
1. Host a vegan dinner. No better way to give thanks this holiday season then by leaving animals off of your plate. See the holidays as an opportunity to expose your family and friends to vegan food. Invite them over for a vegan dinner and let them see for themselves all of the delicious food that they are missing. Many people are open to trying vegan food but just don’t know where to start. Give them a helping hand!
2. Donate to a charity. I know that money is especially tight around the holiday season but if you are able to, donate to a charity of your choice – that’s a great way to give thanks. Just be sure to check out whether they are animal friendly! Farm Sanctuary has an “Adopt A Turkey” program that is a fantastic program to support—instead of eating turkeys, start a new tradition this year by adopting a turkey instead.
3. Spend time at an animal sanctuary. Want to do more than just donate money? Volunteering your time at your local animal shelter is a very fun and rewarding experience. Most people, even if they are vegan, have never spent time around farm animals. When I first went to an animal sanctuary (Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary in Maryland), I was amazed by
the personalities of all the animals. Bring a friend or family member along and make a day of volunteering and spending time with the animals. The animals will thank you!
4. Donate tofurkys to your local homeless shelter. Especially around the holiday season, homeless shelters could use all of the donations they can get. Give back by donating cruelty-free meals to your local shelter. Take it a step further and volunteer your time at your local shelter. Even just an hour or two on the weekend would mean the world to the shelter.
5. Give the gift of a subscription to a pro-vegan magazine. Trying to find the perfect gift for someone on your list that seems to have everything? Giving the gift of a one year subscription to a pro-vegan/animal rights magazine is something different, and a great way to get the message out there about vegan living, as well as animal rights issues. VegNews offers a one year subscriptions for just $20/year, and you’ll also be helping out a vegan business. Win/win/win! Check out this link for some different ideas (and don’t forget about Vegan Mainstream’s Zine!)
The holiday season is, without a doubt, always going to be a stressful time of year—but it’s also a time to give back and to use this time as an opportunity to speak up for those without a voice. How are you going to give thanks this holiday season? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Michelle Carr is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelors degree in Sociology/Social Psychology. She has been vegetarian since 2006, and vegan since 2008 after learning about the horrors of factory farming. Michelle is the founder of No Animals Harmed, a blog dedicated to compassionate living. Michelle currently lives in Los Angeles, with her rescued companion dog, Callie.
