We’re celebrating our one-year anniversary at LIVEKINDLY! In honor of this milestone, we want to encourage everyone to celebrate their veganniversary. Whether you’ve been vegan for a year, two, ten, or a lifetime, it’s an occasion to party! Even if you transitioned gradually or don’t have an exact date, that’s okay. Make one up and enjoy your day. Here are 11 fun, festive, and totally vegan activities to celebrate your veganniversary. Bring on the vegan cake.
11 Vegan Activities to Celebrate Your Veganniversary
1. Make a Vegan Cake
No celebration is complete without cake. Try this decadent yet healthy Raw Salted Caramel Vegan Cheesecake, or whatever your favorite vegan cake may be. No matter what your sweet tooth preference, be sure to buy candles, because just as no celebration is complete without cake, no cake is complete without candles.
2. Represent With a Cool Vegan Tee
Show off your veganism with pride wherever you go by rocking a fun vegan-positive t-shirt. There are plenty of ethical vegan companies to choose from, such as Vegetaryn, Crazies and Weirdos, and Vegan Power. Spark a conversation without saying a word with your pro-vegan apparel.
3. Support a Vegan Business
One of the amazing things about being vegan is the community. Lift up fellow vegans by supporting their businesses. This could mean going out to a vegan restaurant, ordering baked goods from a local vegan baker, or purchasing vegan jewelry on Etsy. No matter how you spend your dollars, it’s a win-win for the vegan movement!
4. Throw a Potluck Party
What better way to celebrate and spread the vegan message than with a party? Invite friends and family to bring a vegan dish and enjoy an epic plant-based feast together. Food is a terrific entry point to the cruelty-free lifestyle. Offer suggestions so your non-vegan guests don’t have to worry about what to bring. Gourmet vegan cheese is an easy item to pick up at the store, or suggest they bring a vegan item from Trader Joe’s. Party on!
5. Adopt a Companion Animal
If you are ready to make the commitment, commemorate your veganniversary by helping an animal in need. Approximately 6.5 million animals enter shelters every year in the US, according to the ASPCA. Show a homeless animal some love by giving them a forever home.
6. Visit a Farm Animal Sanctuary
Have you ever hugged a cow, or fed a pig a carrot? You can at a farm animal sanctuary. These non-profits rescue abused and/or neglected farm animals, many of whom would have gone to slaughter if not for these facilities. Sanctuaries allow these animals to live to the full extent of their natural lives in a loving, open, and nourishing environment. They also serve as powerful education tools for visitors who may not have made the connection between their diet and animal welfare. By visiting a sanctuary, you not only get to interact with these gentle beings, but your entry fee will support the facility and its animal residents.
7. Master Vegan Cuisine
We all have that vegan cookbook with the four-page-long recipe. Every time we flip through it, we are tantalized by the glossy food images and become determined to create the dish…until we look at the long instructions. Today is the day! Schedule a few hours to finally make that meal you’ve been dreaming of, and be sure to take a picture before you dig in!
Another option is to sign up for a vegan cooking class. Take one in person, or sign up online for a virtual vegan cooking school. Rouxbe, PlantLab, and Forks Over Knives are just a few of the excellent options on the web.
8. Relax at a Vegan Spa
If you prefer a quieter celebration, book some time at a nearby vegan day spa or salon. Many resorts and hotels offer vegan menus or vegan dishes, as well as cruelty-free spa treatments. If you have the time and funds to take a full vacation, book your stay at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino, Calif.; Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort in Nova Scotia; Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico; or the mecca of all holistic retreats, the Golden Door in San Marcos, Calif.
9. Get a Vegan Tattoo
Miyoko Schinner of Miyoko’s Kitchen recently got her first tattoo and filmed it on Facebook Live! It didn’t look too painful…to truly commit to your vegan lifestyle, match Miyoko’s style with a Phenomenally Vegan tattoo, or another design that holds meaning for you.
10. Watch a Vegan Documentary
Sometimes, we forget why we went vegan. After a while, it becomes routine, just something that we do without giving it much thought. Every now and then, it can be enlightening to revisit our reasons for going cruelty-free. What resonates with you? Health, the animals, the environment? Find a documentary on that topic and get ready to be re-inspired. We suggest “Cowspiracy,” “What the Health,” “Forks Over Knives,” and “Eating You Alive.” Not in the mood for something too heavy? There are plenty of animated movies that promote compassion and are also extremely entertaining, even for adults. Enjoy “Ferdinand,” “Chicken Run,” “Babe,” and the “Good Dinosaur” with some vegan popcorn.
11. Treat Yo’ Self
When the day is done, it’s time to relax, light a soothing scented candle, and treat yo’ self to a glass of vegan wine and chocolate. Pure, simple bliss. Happy veganniversary to you, and here’s to many years to come!
Image Credit: Vegetaryn / Plant Food and Wine /Stanford Inn Eco-Resort/ Miyoko Schinner.
