Holiday Gift Giving for Vegans

Last month’s column focused on food for the holidays, reducing possible conflicts that can occur when vegans and non-vegans share a meal. This column broadens the focus to holiday gift giving, with the hope that non-vegans may read this.

Not all readers may know or understand that vegans avoid all animal-related products, not just in what they eat, but what they wear, and the charities that they support. They avoid these animal products out of compassion for animals, not wanting to contribute to the enormous suffering that animals endure. Vegans also avoid animal-based foods for health reasons, and vegans are interested in being environmentalists, leaving the softest carbon footprint that they can.

Gifts given by a vegan, or gifts being purchased for a vegan, will need to be thoughtful and well-chosen. Obviously, clothing items will not include anything made from wool, leather, fur, silk, or feathers (down coats); not even on the trim, which can be frustrating when catalogues don’t mention a small leather trim detail.

A huge disappointment in the last year or two was learning that China uses real dog fur and labels it as faux fur, because they have so much surplus fur. American clothing stores weren’t aware of this deception, nor were those who purchased the clothing articles. It’s difficult to tell the difference. Fortunately, there is a wide array of textiles that are not animal-based, including exciting developments in sustainable clothing such as bamboo. And “pleather” makes a good substitute for leather.

Cosmetics, soap and bath products, hand lotions, shaving cream, etc. also require thoughtfulness in their purchases, due to the animal cruelty that many companies still engage in to test their products, despite the scientific development of non-animal alternatives to testing. A statement such as “This final product not tested on animals” doesn’t mean anything; individual ingredients could have been tested on animals. 2009 Veggie Awards winners posted in Veg News magazine were: Aveda products, Bare Escentuals, and Kiss My Face. You can purchase cruelty-free gifts online by googling Vegan Essentials, Pangea Vegan Products, Vegan Unlimited and Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe.  Organizations such as Leaping Bunny Program and NAVS offer extensive guides to shopping cruelty free.

If opting out of buying presents and making charitable contributions is of interest, then you may want to consider donations to animal sanctuaries. We have area organizations that provide shelter for pets and reduce the numbers of dogs and cats that are euthanized every year at the pound. These include F-M Humane Society shelter, Adopt a Pet, 4 Luv of Dog Rescue and Minn-Kota PAAWS (cat adoption and spay-neuter, vet services).

This is the time of year that churches encourage their parishioners to contribute to organizations that provide cows, goats, chickens and rabbits to Third World countries, to eliminate hunger.  Vegans will not want to be a part of that, not only because of the animal cruelty involved, but also the environmental problems associated with animal agriculture. Fortunately there are forward thinking organizations such as Vegfam, Trees for Life, The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, Women’s Bean Project, Plenty International, Sustainable Harvest International, and Animal Aid, that provide life-giving gifts. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer said, “The thinking person must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another.”

May HPR’s staff, supporters and readers have an abundance of what the holidays truly represent—kindness, love, generosity and friendship.

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