When I decided to make the switch to a vegan diet, my family made it clear that they wouldn’t be cooking for me and I would have to fend for myself. Fair enough, I thought – I wasn’t expecting everyone to take on veganism along with me. Eventually, however, I convinced them to try some of the meals I was making, and they were pleasantly surprised. Now, we have even evolved to eating vegan meals three to four times a week because, as it turns out, vegan cooking can in fact be delicious – even to the most steadfast carnivores.
Despite this vegan-friendly development in my house, one point of conflict that has come up year after year has been the question of what to do about Christmas dinner. It’s the one area where I still stand more or less alone – my dad lends a hand with my side of the cooking, but I am harshly instructed to make sure that it’s taken care of long in advance so as not to clash with the almighty Christmas cooking schedule.
For the first Christmas I spent as a vegan, my dad made a delectable stuffed squash recipe that I was still enjoying in June. I wasn’t expecting anyone else to eat it but, surprisingly, he expressed his likeness for the dish. Last year, I made a mushroom wellington for Christmas dinner in my granny’s kitchen, to the praise of everyone who tried it and thought it was delicious. I even had people coming back for seconds.
The question then occurs to me: if everyone agrees that the vegan Christmas dishes are delicious – when cooked right – why do they consistently keep up such a bad rep? And why, despite the nature of the holiday that’s being celebrated, does it get so much pushback?
Despite the vegan-friendly development in my house, one point of conflict has been the question of what to do about Christmas dinner
The most obvious reason, to me, is probably the disturbance it creates in the natural order of Christmas dinners. Typically, one eats turkey, stuffing, potato – all things that wouldn’t necessarily be compatible with vegan food. These dishes are comforting and awaited upon with anticipation each year, so when someone throws a spanner in the works, it can be a real pain.
Personally, I think it goes a bit deeper than that. I believe vegans get flack for their choices mainly because they break the status quo of Western diets. With Christmas being a holiday centred on traditions, people might not enjoy being challenged in their beliefs, even subconsciously. Veganism represents a stand against the norm, whether for reasons of environment, health or animal welfare. For many seasoned meat eaters, being confronted with harsh truths about what an omnivorous diet represents can be uncomfortable. People don’t like being told their views and habits are wrong, and because of the nature of vegan activism (and the awful representation vegans get, but that’s a rant for another day), people are keenly aware of it.
Veganism might only be a small step on the activist chain (albeit a very important one), but it still causes people to question their narratives and, when approached properly, results in people acknowledging that their actions have contributed to the ongoing ecological, health and animal welfare crises – definitely not something one wants to come to terms with over a festive dinner.
But, beyond my psychoanalysis of the people with whom I share Christmas dinner, I really think we should give the vegans a break as, at the end of the day, Christmas is about spending time with those you love, sharing meals (whatever they be) in homely comfort. By drawing attention to someone’s diet and ostracising them for it, you’re not only potentially eliciting feelings of isolation, but you’re also going against the very spirit of Christmas.
With Christmas being a holiday centred on traditions, people might not enjoy being challenged in their beliefs
Christmas is about giving, receiving, learning, and being thankful for what we have. Leaving food-related tiffs aside, I am very grateful to have the family that I have. We have our ups and downs, but I know they’ll stand by me no matter what and that we can share in all our wonderful differences.
So, to any non-vegan family members out there this Christmas, I implore you to not embody that one family member that resorts to bah humbug-ing in the face of any skews of regular tradition. You never know, you might just find your next favourite meal.
