I also am a mostly-vegetarian, but here's how I handle things like Thanksgiving. Because my issues about vegetarianism revolve mostly around how food animals are raised and how they are slaughtered in our country, my goal is to not have any extra animals die because of me. I don't order meat in restaurants and I don't buy it myself at the store.
On Thanksgiving, however, there is already a turkey on the table, because others are eating it. My feeling about partaking of it -- or, for instance the gravy made from it -- is this: That it's better to honor the animal by making use of it, nourishing my body with it, and making sure it doesn't go in the trash, which would be the biggest shame of all. So I have been known to eat some turkey on Thanksgiving Day, as long as I'm at another person's house and that is already what they are serving.
I have always had to laugh, though, at people who wonder what a vegetarian is going to eat on Thanksgiving! It would be hard to be a vegan, but a vegetarian has a million side dishes to choose from on that day! There are more side dishes on Thanksgiving than almost anytime, many based around veggies or salads. (Not to mention there's usually pumpkin and/or pecan pie at the end.) I've never gone away from a Thanksgiving table hungry.
I refuse to push vegetarianism on people. And if they ask during a meal why I choose to be a vegetarian, I tell them that we'll talk about it after the meal. I don't think conversation about animal processing is appropriate for the dinner table. Genuinely interested people will listen and take away a good message; those who aren't interested won't. It's my choice, and that's all I see it as. But it makes me happy to see that it's such a growing trend.
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I also am a mostly-vegetarian, but here's how I handle things like Thanksgiving. Because my issues about vegetarianism revolve mostly around how food animals are raised and how they are slaughtered in our country, my goal is to not have any extra animals die because of me. I don't order meat in restaurants and I don't buy it myself at the store.
On Thanksgiving, however, there is already a turkey on the table, because others are eating it. My feeling about partaking of it -- or, for instance the gravy made from it -- is this: That it's better to honor the animal by making use of it, nourishing my body with it, and making sure it doesn't go in the trash, which would be the biggest shame of all. So I have been known to eat some turkey on Thanksgiving Day, as long as I'm at another person's house and that is already what they are serving.
I have always had to laugh, though, at people who wonder what a vegetarian is going to eat on Thanksgiving! It would be hard to be a vegan, but a vegetarian has a million side dishes to choose from on that day! There are more side dishes on Thanksgiving than almost anytime, many based around veggies or salads. (Not to mention there's usually pumpkin and/or pecan pie at the end.) I've never gone away from a Thanksgiving table hungry.
I refuse to push vegetarianism on people. And if they ask during a meal why I choose to be a vegetarian, I tell them that we'll talk about it after the meal. I don't think conversation about animal processing is appropriate for the dinner table. Genuinely interested people will listen and take away a good message; those who aren't interested won't. It's my choice, and that's all I see it as. But it makes me happy to see that it's such a growing trend.
November 24, 2008 - 10:02amThis Comment
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