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Veganuary?! Who came up with that then?
January 4 2023 by: Jo M
For the past few years, the dawn of the new calendar has prompted more and more consumers to make a pledge to lead a vegan lifestyle for 31 days, but where did this movement start and what’s its purpose?
Veganuary is a UK non-profit organisation that promotes veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January.
“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.” The Vegan Society.
Going vegan for January started in 2014 when partners Matthew Glover and Jane Land decided to launch a vegan pledge, with the aim of signing up 1,000 participants – they were blown away when more than 3,000 signed up and since then the movement has grown exponentially, with more than 620,000 people from 220 countries and territories officially signing up last year, plus thousands more taking part independently. Participants aim to eat vegan food and refrain from buying or using non-vegan clothes, cosmetics or other items during the month.
The Vegan Society became an official Veganuary partner in 2020 and is partnering with them again in 2023. The Vegan Society is the world’s oldest vegan charity, which started in November 1944 when its founding members coined the word ‘vegan’.
The Vegan Society is where it is today with the dedication of its founding members, including Donald Watson. Donald grew up in a meat-eating household until he turned vegetarian at the age of eight. He described his parents as very liberal and supportive of him, even though they did not always understand his philosophy of life.
Members of Donald’s family had a farm that he would frequently visit and initially had fond memories of. He soon realised that these farmed animals were only kept because they served a purpose. This did not seem right or fair to Donald, who then eventually went on to become vegan.
Together with others, these founders created The Vegan Society to show a more compassionate way of living where animals are not exploited for the benefit of humans. They coined the term ‘vegan’, which is now used worldwide to describe this lifestyle.
Veganuary is a movement designed to inspire people to lead a vegan lifestyle for the month of January and beyond, allowing followers to see how they could adapt their lives or even just parts of their lives to becoming more vegan-friendly on a long-term basis. The campaign encourages businesses and companies in the food industry (and many other industries too) to offer compelling and attractive vegan options, so it becomes easier for more of us to choose animal-free products.
At Naturtint UK we’re proud that all our products are suitable for vegans, so whether you are making the pledge to go completely vegan for January and maybe beyond, or you’re just looking to make more vegan friendly choices, you don’t need to worry about your hair – we’ve got you covered!
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