Here’s Why All Your Friends Are Going Vegan This Month

Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum is a freelance writer, content marketer, and author of 5-Minute Energy. She can't resist a good sample, a margarita, a new HIIT class, or an easy laugh. She writes for various magazines, such as Men's Health, Women's Health, Well+Good, LIVESTRONG, POPSUGAR, SELF,…read more
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updated Jan 23, 2020
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Dry January, or when people abstain from alcohol for a month in January, has been a popular thing to do for some years now. After all the parties and celebrating that happen in December, it can be nice to slow down a little and recalibrate. This sentiment, of course, doesn’t just extend to drinking — other people do things like Whole30 to start the year. And then there’s Veganuary — a new(ish) trend in 2020 where people go vegan for the month of January. Does this explain why all your friends have suddenly given up animal products for 31 days? Here’s what you need to know about the campaign.

“Veganuary” started in the UK back in 2014 but is now making its way to the States. The idea was started by Jane Land and Matthew Glover, a married couple who met on a vegan dating site (yes! That’s real!). The couple was inspired by Movember to create their own sort of movement dedicated to their passion for veganism. Ultimately, the purpose of “Veganuary” is to help people start a vegan lifestyle on a smaller scale, without such a drastic long-term commitment.

The official campaign has been so successful in the United States that Land and Glover hired a director for the program in Los Angeles and created a dedicated website, us.veganuary.com, where people can learn more about veganism, sign up, and get excited for their vegan journey. Celebs are on board: there’s Joaquin Phoenix, Alicia Silverstone, Natalie Portman, Mayim Bialik, and more.

Even food brands are in it, too, like Just Salad, a salad chain in New York City, which added a specialty item to the menu for the month. The “Veganuary” salad is made with organic sesame tofu, roasted mushrooms, and a carrot-edamame slaw — yum. 

Participants who pledge to go vegan on the site will get some help, like daily recipes, helpful hacks, and some great info about how a vegan diet works and what the benefits are for the animals, the environment, and our health. And according to their site, 750,000 people from 192 countries have joined the pledge.

So, if you’re on the fence, try it out maybe for February or start it now! Join in with your friends and start a February group of your own. We can call it “Febgan” — that kind of works, right?

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