Veg-Friendly Flicks for the Holidays and Beyond
By Carol LaLiberte and Melanie Wilson
"I rarely turn on the TV or encourage my son to watch a video. But there are times when I need a break as a parent or when my son needs some complete down time or when I have to make a phone call that is so important that I need silence and no interruptions...As a veg mom, I pay close attention to the videos we watch and how they portray such holiday meals as Thanksgiving or Christmas and what messages kids learn about animal care and welfare..."

How I Survive the Carnivores
By Deborah Salazar
"Besides alerting me to an African plague in organic food, my mother-in-law has besieged me about vegetarianism, breast-feeding, home-birth. Nothing mean and judgmental--just needling questions and endless misinformation that requires some effort on my part to clear up. I'm sure that even among the ancient Incas, some patient daughter-in-law was trying to answer the question "Why don't you sacrifice your firstborn to insure a good harvest like everyone else?" It's not easy being different..."

Suggestions for Attending a Non-Vegetarian Christmas Dinner
By N. Glenn Perrett
"Every year my family attends Christmas get-togethers for both my family and my wife's, family. Neither event is vegetarian and each poses a few considerations. However, we are fortunate. Since we've been vegetarians for almost 20 years, and vegans for almost as long, most of the "jokes" and comments of concern have long subsided..."

How to Veg During the Holidays
By Michelle Larson-Sadler
"I recall my first few years as a vegan, when I found it very difficult to enjoy the holidays with my immediate family. I enjoyed the time spent with them but did not enjoy the holiday meal which centered around animal products. There were times that I’d rather graze from the relish tray and watch football on television than sit down at the table. I joined my family at the table, but..."

Our Holiday Celebration
By Caity McCardell
"My husband and I have done our best at Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations to ignore the dead bird or chopped up pig at the table, but what's supposed to be a celebration feels like a bizarre exercise in tolerance. This year is going to be different - we've decided to take a stand for our beliefs..."

How We Handle the Holidays
By Jennifer Robinson*
"There's a time and a place for everything - holiday get-togethers are not when or where I choose to defend my beliefs to the point of debate to those who aren't in agreement with the way I live. I've been a vegetarian for over 10 years, vegan for four, and am raising a vegetarian daughter..."

Unique Vegetarian Holiday Gift Ideas
By Melanie Wilson
"I may not win anyone over to vegetarianism simply by giving them a taste of vegan cheesecake or buying them a salad set, but it certainly doesn't hurt our cause! Lest you think veg food is the only "gift with a message," here is a long list of fantastic gift ideas - presents that support your values, veg businesses, and will appeal to your friends and family - vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. .."

Create a Vegan Holiday Feast for Meat Eaters (with recipes)
By Melanie Wilson
"I assure everyone that if they'll just have a little faith, they will be in for a big surprise. I focus on the positive and reassure everyone that they won't even miss the meat. Then I follow through with a delicious meal!"

A Veg Family New Year's Resolution
By Lucy Watkins
"One of the things most vegetarian and vegan families have in common is the need for acceptance and respect from the outside world. After a while, all of the criticism and questions can wear on one's confidence and fortitude. It isn't easy being vegetarian or vegan..."

Why You Need a New Year's Resolution
By Melanie Wilson
"In 1997, concerned about my steadily rising intake of refined sugar, I decided to give up soda and chocolate. I can already hear many of you out there saying, "OK, I understand giving up soda, but chocolate!?" Then you wonder if I stuck with these resolutions for the long-term..."

Happy Haunting: Green Decorations & Goodies to Delight Trick or Treaters
From Greenlight Magazine
"Organic Candy, Composting Pumpkins, Battery-Free Flashlights, Soy Candles, and more!"

A Vegan Teen Halloween
By Melanie Wilson
"The term "vegan Halloween" might seem like an oxymoron, but I assure you, there are plenty of treats available for those of you who don't eat gelatin, avoid carmine (red food coloring made from bugs!), and steer clear of dairy products. Of course, you do have to ask yourself if you're too old to be trick-or-treating in the first place, right? What?! You're never too old to go trick-or-treating..."

DIY Halloween Guide
From Lauren
A Vegan Halloween website providing some much-needed info and inspiration for veg*ns during this time of the year!

Halloween Recipes
From VegWeb
Try these terrific, spooky recipes: 'Stroke of Midnight' Pumpkin Bread, Candied Popcorn, Orange Chiffon Pie, Pumpkin Dandies, and more!

Halloween Recipes & Activities
From About.com
Devilish decorations and Halloween party ideas, pumpkin carving patterns and deadly recipes.

Vegan Candy is Dandy
From Petakids.com
"Wondering if some of your favorite sweets are animal-friendly? No worries-check out the list below and satisfy your sweet tooth with these vegan treats..."

How Our Family Decided to Scrap the All-Vegan Thanksgiving
By Melanie Wilson
"I went vegetarian just before Thanksgiving in 1998. It wasn't the best time from a social point of view, but the time was right - I felt a tremendous pull - and so I did it. I gave up meat. That Thanksgiving, my husband's company dinner was held at our home, and I surprised everyone by announcing that I would not be preparing a turkey..."

Veg-Friendly Thanksgiving Books for Kids
By Melanie Wilson
"Each year our family finds another book or two to add to our Thanksgiving selection. Apparently, not eating turkey is a popular theme among children...I wonder why! Well, our vegetarian family surely doesn't mind. Reading these books shows our children that we aren't the only ones out here who care about animals and will be skipping the turkey on Thanksgiving day..."

Unique Ideas for Valentine's Day
By Angela Elliot
"There are many ways you can show a loved one, big or small, that you love them. Over the years, I have collected many different ideas from friends. Here are some of the unique ways you can spend Valentine's day..."

The Eighth Day
By Deborah Salazar
"Today we eat donuts and pizza! A day to rejoice in processed food, swathed in hydrogenated oils and plump with activated yeast! Passover is over, and our toaster, that for a whole week lay covered with cloth in a hidden recess of the kitchen, returns to its cherished place on the counter. Because our family is vegetarian, I often get asked "What is left for you to eat during Passover?"

Create a Positive Vegan Environment for Your Family
By Melanie Wilson
"This Easter my family attended a community potluck and egg hunt. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it was actually a quite perfect day for us as a vegan family. I've been aware for some time that my friends and acquaintances were making an effort to accommodate us at such events, but this particular experience made something clear to me - they also respect us deeply and care about our beliefs..."

Helping Vegan Kids Enjoy Non-Vegan Parties
By Melanie Wilson
"Birthday parties and other get-togethers where food plays a central role are always an issue for vegetarian families. I've discovered over time that there is no tried-and-true solution that is 100 percent successful for all families or for all children..."

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
From Nava Atlas
"Thanksgiving and turkey. For most Americans, to have one without the other would be like a birthday without cake, Christmas without the tree, the Fourth of July without fireworks. But for millions of Americans who have given up meat, Thanksgiving is turkey-free..."

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes
From Vegweb
Over 50 fabulous holiday recipes!