Meat-free days explained

Meat-free days or veggiedays are declared to discourage or prohibit the consumption of meat on certain days of the week. Mondays and Fridays are the most popular days. There are also movements encouraging people giving up meat on a weekly, monthly, or permanent basis.

History

Abstention from meat, other than fish, was historically done for religious reasons (e.g. the Friday Fast). In the Methodist Church, on Fridays, especially those of Lent, "abstinence from meat one day a week is a universal act of penitence".^{[1] [2]} Anglicans (Episcopalians) and Roman Catholics also traditionally observe Friday as a meat-free day.^{[3] [4]} Historically, Anglican and Catholic countries enforced prohibitions on eating meat, other than fish, on certain days of Lent. In England, for example, "butchers and victuallers were bound by heavy recognizances not to slaughter or sell meat on the weekly 'fish days', Friday and Saturday."^[5] In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Wednesdays and Fridays are meat-free days.^[6] In the Lutheran Church, Fridays and Saturdays are historically considered meat-free days.^[7] In addition to the Fridays of the year, in Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday—the first day of the repentance themed season of Lent—is a traditional day of fasting and abstinence from meat.^{[8] [9]}

Among East Asian Buddhists, vegetarian Buddhist cuisine was eaten on days tied to the phases of the moon known as Uposatha.

Meat-free days have also been observed due to wartime rationing (e.g. Meatless Tuesdays in Canada^[10] and the United States—which also observed Wheatless Wednesdays—during World War I)^{[11] [12]} or in states with failing economies.

In the People's Republic of Poland, meat-free days were encouraged by the government due to market forces. They were aimed at limiting meat consumption, primarily in favour of flour-based foods. The meat-free day was traditionally Friday, Monday or Wednesday.

Ecology and society

Attempts to reintroduce meat-free days are part of a campaign to reduce anthropogenic climate change and improve human health and animal welfare by reducing factory farming and promoting vegetarianism or veganism.

Africa

South Africa

• Cape Town^{[13] [14] [15]}

Asia

Hong Kong

• Daily "Meat Free Hong Kong Meetup"^[16]

India

• International Meatless Day, also called the 'International Vegetarian Day', 25 November, birthday of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani, who was an Indian educationist who started the Mira development for improving Indian instructional framework, beginning with settling St. Mira's School in Hyderabad, Sindh. The campaign for International Meatless Day was begun in 1986 by the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, an association for social administration for the abused and underprivileged.^{[17] [18]}

Pakistan

• Reportedly, Meatless Tuesdays and Wednesdays were observed in Pakistan, from Benazir Bhutto's era in the 1990s through part of the 21st century.^{[19] [20]}

Singapore

• Thursday, coordinated by the Vegetarian Society (Singapore)^[21]

Taiwan

• Meat-free Mondays in Taipei^[22]

Europe

Belgium

• Ghent^{[23] [24]}
• Hasselt^[25]
• Mechelen^[25]

Germany

• Bremen^[26]
• During the federal elections in 2013, the German green party Bündnis '90/Die Grünen campaigned with a so-called "veggie day" in their manifesto, which resulted in a public outburst over "paternalism".^[26]

Norway

• the Norwegian Armed Forces^[27]

Switzerland

• Thursdays, coordinated by Swissveg^[28]

North America

United States

• Los Angeles has declared all Mondays "Meatless Mondays," citing actions by Baltimore public-school system, Oakland, California Unified School District and school districts in Arlington, Virginia, Oneida, New York, Longmont, Colorado; the cities of San Francisco, Takoma Park and Annapolis, Maryland, Marin County, California and the District of Columbia Council.^{[29] [30]}

See also

• Awareness day
• Friday Fast
• List of food days
• Meatless Monday
• List of vegetarian festivals
• Vegetarian week
• Vegan school meal
• World Vegan Day
• World Vegetarian Day

Notes and References

1. Book: McKnight . Scot . Fasting: The Ancient Practices . 2010 . Thomas Nelson . 9781418576134 . 88 . en. John Wesley, in his Journal, wrote on Friday, August 17, 1739, that "many of our society met, as we had appointed, at one in the afternoon and agreed that all members of our society should obey the Church to which we belong by observing 'all Fridays in the year' as 'days of fasting and abstinence.'.
2. Web site: What does The United Methodist Church say about fasting? . https://web.archive.org/web/20100310224612/http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=2872 . dead . 10 March 2010 . The United Methodist Church . 27 April 2014 .
3. Book: Buchanan, Colin. The A to Z of Anglicanism. 4 August 2009. Scarecrow Press. 9780810870086. 182. In the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, there is a list of "Days of Fasting, or Abstinence," consisting of the 40 days of Lent, the ember days, the three rogation days (the Monday to Wednesday following the Sunday after Ascension Day), and all Fridays in the year (except Christmas, if it falls on a Friday)..
4. Book: Green, Jennifer. Dealing with Death: A Handbook of Practices, Procedures and Law. 27 April 2014. 25 May 2006. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 9781846425127. 224. Friday is a day of abstinence and self-denial for Catholics in health, and, by tradition, this became a meat-free day..
5. Book: Barrows. Susanna. Room. Robin. Drinking: Behavior and Belief in Modern History. registration. 27 April 2014. 1991. University of California Press. 9780520070851. 340. The main legally enforced prohibition in both Catholic and Anglican countries was that against meat. During Lent, the most prominent annual season of fasting in Catholic and Anglican churches, authorities enjoined abstinence from meat and sometimes "white meats" (cheese, milk, and eggs); in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England butchers and victuallers were bound by heavy recognizances not to slaughter or sell meat on the weekly "fish days," Friday and Saturday..
6. Book: Vitz, Evelyn Birge. A Continual Feast. 27 April 2014. 1991. Ignatius Press. 9780898703849. 80. In the Orthodox groups, on ordinary Wednesdays and Fridays no meat, olive oil, wine, or fish can be consumed..
7. Book: Lund, Eric. Documents from the History of Lutheranism, 1517–1750. Of the Eating of Meat: One should abstain from the eating of meat on Fridays and Saturdays, also in fasts, and this should be observed as an external ordinance at the command of his Imperial Majesty.. January 2002. Fortress Press. 9781451407747. 166.
8. Web site: A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent. Weitzel. Thomas L.. 1978. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. en. 17 March 2018. 17 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164940/http://www.ststephenlutheranchurch.org/pdf/Disciplines%20of%20Lent-%20Handbook.pdf. dead.
9. Book: Buchanan, Colin. Historical Dictionary of Anglicanism. 2015. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. en. 9781442250161. 256.
10. http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/VeteransGreen/PrinterFriendly.aspx?tabid=1381 "Making Do with Less": Rationing in Canada
11. Web site: History of Meatless Mondays . Pbs.org . 16 August 2013 . 2 November 2015.
12. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/the-way-we-ate-the-year-harry-truman-passed-on-pumpkin-pie/ The Way We Ate: The Year Harry Truman Passed on Pumpkin Pie
13. Web site: City to launch 'one meat-free day a week' campaign. 27 July 2010. 3 August 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100827083135/http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/MediaReleases/Pages/Citytolaunchonemeatfreedayaweekcampaign.aspx. 27 August 2010.
14. Web site: Pollack. Martin. City launches Meat-free Day. 30 July 2010. City of Cape Town. 3 August 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100802003555/http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Pages/CitylaunchesMeat-freeDay.aspx. 2 August 2010.
15. Web site: South Africa scores for farm animal welfare, the environment and human health. 12 April 2010. Compassion in World Farming. 3 August 2010.
16. Web site: Meat Free Hong Kong. 27 August 2014 . 1 September 2015.
17. Web site: International Meatless Day 2019. www.hellotravel.com.
18. News: Vegans urge city folk to go veg on International Meatless Day. 23 November 2018 . The New Indian Express.
19. This law was passed during Ayub's dictatorship, not during Benazir Bhutto's time.Going vegan in Pakistan... Saturday, 12 November 2011
20. Alter, S. Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey Across the India-Pakistan Border. pp. 107-109
21. Web site: Veggie Thursday in Singapore. 1 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20171010055113/http://www.ecowalkthetalk.com/blog/2010/09/15/veggie-thursday-in-singapore/. 10 October 2017. dead.
22. Web site: Taipei Times about Meat free Monday. 19 September 2009 . 30 July 2015.
23. News: Traynor. Ian. Meat-free revolution to help save the planet. Sydney Morning Herald. 22 May 2009. 3 August 2010.
24. News: Ghent declares every Thursday 'Veggie day'. The Telegraph.
25. Web site: Ghent's Veggiedag goes from strength to strength. Meat Free Mondays. 2 October 2011 . 23 October 2015.
26. Web site: Weekly 'vegetarian day' for public canteens promised in Germany's Green Party manifesto. Telegraph (London). 6 August 2013 . 23 October 2015.
27. Web site: Norwegian army placed on strict vegetarian diet . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/norwegian-army-placed-on-strict-vegetarian-diet-8951722.html . 12 May 2022 . subscription . live . 18 January 2016 . Saul . Heather . 30 November 2013 . .
28. Web site: Der grüne "Vegi-Tag" greift um sich. 15 August 2013 . 1 September 2015.
29. News: Lowery. Wesley. = Los Angeles Times| location = Los Angeles, CA| date = 12 November 2012| access-date = 12 November 2012 City Council asks L.A. residents to go "meatless" on Mondays .
30. Web site: Meatless Mondays. LACityClerk Connect. 9 November 2012. 12 November 2012.