By When you think of the word vegan or veganism what comes to your mind first. Is it trendy cafes, plant based foods and some social media influencers posting “What I eat in a day”? But here’s a surprising part, veganism has a much longer history than many of us realize. Long before supermarkets had vegan aisles, cafes and restaurants offered vegan and dairy free options, there were people around the world who were following vegan-like practices because of their belief about kindness, health and living in harmony with nature. You must me thinking how veganism evolved from being an ancient way of thinking to the lifestyle many people around the world embrace today. Lets explore this exciting journey and learn more about the rich history of veganism.
So most of us when think of Greeks, we probably think of the Greek mythology, Olympic games, the great Greek philosophers standing in long robes. But do you know some of the ancient ideas about veganism date back to Ancient Greece. One of the famous Greek Philosopher Pythagoras whom I am sure you know from the math class was one of the first to start a conversation around veganism. Pytharogas advocated vegetarianism and a meatless diet. He believed that all living beings including animals deserve respect and kindness. He also believed that humans should treat animals with love and compassion.
The Ancient Greeks had something to say about it!
People later began calling the meatless diet the “Pythagorean diet.” That time the word vegan didn’t exist but many of his ideas are similar to the values vegans have today. He urged people to follow a meatless diet mainly because of religious and moral reasons. Many people that time didn’t agree with him. There were animal sacrifices during religious ceremonies, and festivals. But Pythagoras always stood against hunting, blood sacrifice, wearing wool and leather. So, what’s interesting is that Pythagoras was not only encouraging people to live a meatless diet but live with kindness, respect and love for all souls. All these ideas resonate with vegans today.
Religion Played a Big Role
Long before the world came to know about veganism many religions in the world were already spreading the message of kindness, compassion and respect for all living beings. These ideas made people to think what they ate and how their choices affected the animals. These religions didn’t not spread the ideas of veganism in the modern sense but encouraged people to choose a plant-based diet. One of the biggest influences was Hinduism. The main teaching in Hinduism is “ahimsa” or non-violence which means avoiding harm to any living creature including animals. Because of this reason many Hindus chose a vegetarian or plant based diet. Unlike modern veganism, Hinduism does not reject dairy. In fact, milk, curd, ghee or clarified butter have always been used in cooking and religious ceremonies.
Historically cows were cared for because they gave milk, and also helped the farming communities so cows were not viewed in the same way as eating beef. Cows have always been considered sacred and so most Hindus avoid eating beef all together. Another important point is that Hinduism has always promoted the idea of having sattvic diet like fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and dairy as these help clam the mind and promote good health and spiritual growth. Sattvic food finds mention in the yogic philosophy also and that is the reason why many yogic practitioners are mainly vegetarian or eat plant-based foods.
Another religion that encouraged similar values and also in a more stricter way was Jainism. The religion also has non-violence as its main tenet so Jains avoid eating meat, fish, eggs and many foods that could unintentionally harm small organisms. Buddhism also teaches kindness, compassion, and reducing suffering. This is the reason many Buddhists choose to have a vegetarian diet.
All these religions were not promoting veganism in the modern sense, but they helped introduce the idea of kindness and respect for all forms of life. These ideas and values continue to inspire many people who choose a plant based or vegan lifestyle today.
When was the Word “Vegan” Coined?
By early 1900s, more and more people were choosing to become vegetarian. They avoided eating meat, and started caring for animals more out of religious reasons and also for their own health. However, many vegetarians still continued eating dairy products, eggs and products that came from animals. This didn’t quite make sense to one person and he was Donald Watson, a woodworker. He believed that if people wanted to protect animals they should avoid all kinds of animal exploitation and not just eating meat. Therefore, Donald along with a group of like-minded people founded the Vegan Society in United Kingdom on 1st November, 1944 as they believed they needed their own identity. They believed that animals should not also be used for eggs, dairy, clothing, or any other purpose whenever it was possible to avoid it.
Since the word vegetarian didn’t fully described their beliefs, they created another word called “vegan”. Donald took the first three letters and last two letters of the word vegetarian and created a new word called Vegan. He described veganism as the beginning and end of vegetarian. Donald believed that veganism was not a different idea but a logical extension to vegetarianism. The Vegan Society was the first organization in the world solely dedicated to promoting veganism and encouraging people to avoid using and exploiting of animals for food, clothing, entertainment and for any other purpose.
Why is Veganism Growing Today?
Takeaway
From its early origins to Donald Watson’s founding of the Vegan Society, veganism has come a long way. Veganism encourages people to avoid all forms of animal use and exploitation. Over time the idea has spread around the world and become quite popular today. Today many people follow veganism for different reasons. But the main idea behind it is respect and kindness for animals. We have to believe that animals are sentient beings capable of feeling sensations like pain, joy, sorrow, and happiness. I am confident that veganism is the future as more people move towards kinder and sustainable choices and choose compassion over harm and kindness over inconvenience.
Go Vegan!