International Vegan Day ( World Vegan Day ) — the holiday that appeared on November 1, 1994, when the Vegan Society ( Vegan Society ) celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The word vegan was formed by Donald Watson ( Donald Watson ) from the first three and last two letters of the English word « vegetarian » ( rus. « vegetarian », « vegetarian » <TA. This term began to be used by the Vegan Society, founded by Watson on November 1, 1944 in London.
Veganism ( veganism ) — a lifestyle characterized, in particular, by strict vegetarianism. Vegans — veganism adherents — eat and use only plant products, that is, completely eliminating the components of animal origin.
Vegans — are strict vegetarians who not only exclude meat and fish from their diet, but also exclude any other animal products — eggs, milk, honey and similar products. Vegans do not wear leather, fur, wool and silk clothes and, moreover, do not use products tested on animals.
The reasons for the refusal may be different, but the main — is the reluctance to be involved in the killing and abuse of animals.
Disputes about the dangers and benefits of vegetarianism in the world have been ongoing for a long time. According to many doctors, this lifestyle has undeniable advantages of – healthy weight loss, reduced the risk of obesity and the amount of cholesterol that enters the body with food. But, in their opinion, there are cons. First of all, any restriction on meat consumption leads to a lack of vital amino acids and minerals. All this not only leads to a deterioration in the condition of bones, hair, skin ..., but also in people who have completely abandoned meat, a serious problem – atrophy of the heart muscle can arise. Therefore, doctors warn against « fanatic » vegetarianism. Moreover, such a diet is unacceptable for children, since the children's body is growing, and if it is deprived of food of animal origin at an early stage of development, a lag in physical development can occur. Vegetarianism is also contraindicated for pregnant women because of the threat of miscarriage, nursing mothers and is highly undesirable for older people.
On the very same Day of Vegan, in many countries of the world, representative offices of the Vegan Society and other activists hold various educational and charitable events and informational events dedicated to the theme of the holiday.
Recall that the Day of Vegan ends with the so-called « month of vegetarian awareness » ( Vegetarian Awareness Month ), which began on October 1 — on World Vegetarian Day.