10 Ways Vegans Can Spend That Extra Daylight Savings Hour
Daylight Saving time ends this Sunday, November 1st! And it just happens to coincide with World Vegan Day! Here are a few ways to put that extra hour to good use:
1. Listen to a vegan-oriented podcast
There are tons of fabulous podcasts out there devoted to all facets of the vegan ethic. Victoria Moran’s Main Street Vegan interviews movers and shakers in the community, Lacy Davis’ and Holly Noll’ Rise and Resist talks about remaining body positive while kicking butt in the gym, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Food for Thought tackles a wide range of topics including navigating social situations, vegan linguistics, and activism.
2. Plan your holiday menu
Sunday marks the first day of November and the beginning of all sorts of dinners, parties, events, gatherings, and traditions that often center around food. Whether you will be hosting a full-fledged vegan Thanksgiving or you are planning on bringing a side dish to a shindig that will blow omnivores’ taste buds away, now is the time to get planning. Scour some cookbooks or your favorite blogs for the perfect recipes to share.
3. Organize a meet-up
The beauty of technology is that it allows us to connect and plan without tremendous legwork. If you are interested in coordinating a get-together with other vegheads at a local restaurant on Vegan Night or peacefully leafleting at the circus that’s coming to town this month, there’s no time like the present to organize an event, send out invites, and print out or order materials you may need.
4. Adopt a turkey!
This time of year is when farm sanctuaries step up their promotion game and it is the perfect time to donate to animals in need. Farm Sanctuary holds an Adopt a Turkey event every year, sending out beautiful cards with photos of the rescued farm animal donators have “adopted.” The one and only time a turkey should be on the dinner table is in the form of a lovely photographic centerpiece.
5. Send a vegan care package
Have a buddy who lives in the middle of a vegan desert and does not have access to his or her favorite bar of nondairy chocolate or box of macaroni and plant-based cheese? Or maybe you have distant family members who would love to hear from you and would appreciate being sent a surprise treat even more? Browsing VeganEssentials.com or VeganStore.com can inspire all kinds of gift ideas for a surprise care package.
6. Get a jump on homemade holiday gifts
The best way to show someone you care while saving oodles of cash around the holidays is by preparing thoughtful homemade gifts. Instead of waiting until the last moment, why not get started now on planning and preparing some goodies? Baking and soup mixes can be assembled weeks before being gifted and will keep for a long while. Infused vodkas or syrups need time to steep before they’re ready to use. Tap into your creativity today!
7. Journal or call a friend
This time of year can be especially difficult for vegans and vegetarians for a multitude of reasons: being more exposed to people joyfully consuming animals than usual, preparing for social awkwardness or harsh comments about their dietary choices at family gatherings, or feeling lonely in a world that exploits animals for holiday traditions without much consideration about their choices. It’s important to check in with yourself about how this time of year affects you. If it is helpful, journaling about why veganism is important to you or what fantastic, positive changes you have seen this year in the world of animal rights and plant-based eating can reaffirm our faith in what we do.
8. Bring a companion animal to a park
Or, if it’s harsh and rainy outside, play with one indoors. Visit a friend if you don’t have a companion animal of your own just for the sake of connecting with one of the precious creatures for whom we fight so hard. You could even drop by a farm sanctuary, if there’s one near! Making contact gets oxytocin flowing and reinforces all those feel-good emotions for both us and our furry playmates.
9. Pick up (or order) a good book
If it’s been a while since you’ve read a good page-turner on veganism, it might be a good idea to consider picking one up again. Reread an old, inspirational favorite or seek out a new release about which you’ve been hearing rave reviews. Not only is supporting fellow vegans a good thing, but reconnecting with our ethics can inspire us to continue our advocacy!
10. Volunteer
Veganism is about compassion toward all living things. If there are places is need in your neighborhood, volunteer your time (or your resources, if you’d like) to those in need. Offer to help serve food to the homeless, walk some dogs at a nearby shelter, lend a helping hand to your community garden. If there is a service in need in your community, but hasn’t been established, brainstorm how you might get things started. ’Tis the season, after all.
Photo credit: Flickr (Du Truong)
