Veggie Day XI

I know it has been several months since you've heard from the black sheep; busy holidays and an even busier work schedule has kept me away from the blog. But this is the perfect week to dive back in! Those of you closest to me may already be aware that Veggie Day is upon us. For anyone new, Veggie Day is a figment of my imagination, a 'holiday' designed for celebrating my vegetarian lifestyle choice. Traditional festivities of the day include imbibing in a gluttonous amount of vegetarian fare,  wearing t-shirts bearing animal rights slogans, and shamelessly guilting carniverous family members into eating vegetarian for the day.

But why add another day to the multitude of veg-centric holidays already on the calendar? With an increasing number of vegetarians and vegetarian groups, everyone wants to show that this lifestyle is fun and worth celebrating. And what better way than fabricating holidays? There are vegetarian awareness days, World Vegan Day, days that support awareness of farm animals, animal testing, fur manufacturing, circuses, even an entire month devoted to vegans (November). And of course who could forget Vegan Pizza Day, and my personal favorite, Hug a Vegetarian Day!

It would seem there are already plenty of days that honor the herbivore. But today holds a personal significance in my life. During the winter of senior year of high school, I decided to finally take the plunge and fully embrace a vegetarian life. About a year later, I marveled at the fact that I'd made it a whole year, and decided to celebrate. Wearing my "Green Goddess Cafe" t-shirt, I invited the whole family over for grilled cheese and tomato soup. This was one of few dishes that was 'naturally' vegetarian without being 'weird' to the traditional northern Minnesotan carnivorous palate. I remember being mocked a little, as usual. But this was a day that I just didn't care. It was so fun, I decided to make it a yearly event. Ever since, I have invited various friends and family to dine with me, exploring new cuisines and listening to friends exclaim, "This is great! I could be a vegetarian too!" And that really is the whole point of this day - sharing a way of life with people I care about.

Veggie day for me has always been a unique mixture of pride in the fact that I've upheld such strict guidelines for yet another year, improving my health and saving animal lives in the process - and a mock seriousness that allows for the element of enjoyment and silliness. Because life needs more reasons for celebration. So, feel free to celebrate with me today by enjoying an animal-free meal. Or make up your own reason to celebrate. Whether it's Christmakkah, Festivus, or making a commitment to healthier eating, go ahead and throw a party!

Gifts for Veggie Day are certainly not necessary, but for anyone who insists, I am registered at Pizza Luce and Mississippi Market.