Come on, let s get real. What do you think of first when you hear the word Thanksgiving? Family clustered around the dining table? That goes without saying. But for most of us, the biggest image is most likely of roast turkey spread out upon a table with gravy.
That used to be the me. But not since I became vegetarian. Not since I became aware of the suffering of animals and the cruelty of factory farms. How did it happen? I watched a movie called Earthlings on YouTube and it hit me hard. It really started me thinking about the nature of animals and their treatment in this country (and the world, for that matter). If you re interested, do a search and you can watch it too for free on YouTube.
And I m not the only one thinking about this. At this time of the year, all over the country, there is a celebration called ThanksLiving. People get together for a fun day of compassionate eating by skipping the turkey and all things made of meat. It s a movement that is getting larger, year by year.
Did you know that 300 million turkeys are killed in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday? They spend their short lives crammed in cramped sheds with little room to move around. They re artificially inseminated, then bred to gain enormous amounts of weight. They suffer heart attacks, broken limbs, lameness, and death from this genetically induced accelerated rate of growth. Is this a humane way to treat an animal? I don t think so.
In light of the treatment of turkeys, in the Phoenix area, a restaurant called Green New American Vegetarian is serving up a vegetarian (actually 100 vegan) feast on the third Thursday of November. The menu consists of a meat substitute and many of the traditional dishes like mashed potatoes, roasted corn, brussel sprouts, asparagus, and of course, pumpkin pie.
As owner Damon Brasch says, It s not just for vegetarians and vegans. It s for everyone. We had many many many omnivores come last year who said that this was one of the best Thanksgiving meals they ever had. And as a participant at last year s event, I can attest that the food was delicious virtually to the gourmet level. The turkey substitute was made from seitan, a wheat gluten, and was ultra tasty. How Damon and his crew got it to taste like the REAL bird is beyond me. (And yes, I still remember what turkey tastes like. I ve only been a vegetarian for two years.)
Even if you don t live in the Phoenix area, it is just possible that a restaurant or two is celebrating a vegetarian Thanksgiving in or near your home town. If you live in an urban area, the likelihood increases. You should go online and do a search for the name of your city and the keywords: vegetarian thanksgiving. You just may be surprised at what you find!
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