How to Have a Vegan Christmas
Christmas is a holiday meant to be shared with your loved ones. After making the decision to be a vegan, it can be a challenge to share in all the customs and meals of family holidays. Christmas can prove to be the most challenging of all. Luckily, there are ways that you can plan to smooth the transition for you and your family. Keeping a positive attitude and a humble approach to your moral choices is the best bet to keep the party going full speed ahead! Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Bring your own dishes. Cook at the family home. When you do this, you are taking the pressure off of others to supply you with food that caters to your special needs. You also have the peace of mind in knowing that your food is completely vegan with no mistaken ingredients in the mix. That is the best way to set the tone for a mellow time. You'll also have the opportunity to show off what a wide variety of vegan food exists, and how tasty it is when you make enough to share with everybody!
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Stuff your stockings with vegan candy treats. Although most websites tend to list candy for Halloween that's vegan, the same candy can be used for the Christmas stocking. It will be much appreciated by those who receive it. Since most of the candy is mainstream name brand choices, nobody will give a thought to the fact that you made a vegan choice for the present! See the link in Resources below for an extensive list of vegan candy that can be found down any candy aisle.
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Read the labels before buying clothes for those on your gift list. Some tops and blouses are made will wool, leather and silk. Most vegans do not buy those materials since they are animal by-products. Like skipping meat and poultry, you are sparing animal suffering by refusing to support breeders and industries that thrive off the suffering of animals. Opt to give tops made of organic cotton or spandex or polyester. There are lots of materials out there for the vegan to enjoy.
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Announce your gratitude for all that being vegan has brought into your life. Many families go around the table to give thanks at both Christmas and Thanksgiving. At your next go-round, be sure to mention all the great things that happened in your life as a result of making vegan choices. You can do this without being preachy. Keep it real by simply listing the advantages you appreciate in your life based on the choices you continue to make.
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Thank everybody for any food offer that you are given. Chances are, you will be offered a lot of treats that are not vegan. Instead of shying away from the treat or explaining that you cannot eat that (which often will cause embarrassment to both you and the one who did the offering), be thankful. Don't eat what you do not want. However, this is not the time to explain yourself time and time again. Make the vegan announcement once, but don't repeat it several times. People will roll their eyes and feel preached at if the mention is repetitive.
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Bake and share. Make vegan treats every other day during the holiday season. No, you shouldn't fill your tummy until it matches Saint Nick's. You should bake and share your treats with all your family and friends. Be sure to mention that it's vegan after each person has tasted the first bite. That will make them think twice about downing vegan food if they taste how marvelous it is first hand!
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Tips & Warnings
Laugh it off if someone feels the need to make up lies about the vegan lifestyle to try to put your choices down. Chances are, the person feels insecure or threatened. Try not to make a big deal about it unless the person persists.
Don't feel the need to defend your beliefs. Christmas is not the time for a big debate over the right choice. Others may feel threatened by your moral choices, but you need not criticize their choices or defend your own. Simply enjoy your holiday.
