All Saints' Day
Solemnity celebrated on the first of November. It is instituted to honour all the saints, known and unknown, and, according to Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year.
In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all.
World Vegan Day
World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated on 1 November,
by vegans around the world. The Day was established in 1994 by Louise
Wallis, then President & Chair of The Vegan Society UK.
2012 marks the 68th anniversary of the term 'vegan' (and thus the verbally clarified concept of 'veganism' and of the establishment of The Vegan Society).
November 1st is a day for animal rights advocates everywhere, where all things vegan come together for World Vegan Day.
ReplyDeleteVegans are people who attempt to live without exploiting animals, for the benefit of animals, people and the planet. "Vegans eat a plant-based diet, with nothing coming from animals - no meat, milk, eggs or honey, for example. A vegan lifestyle also avoids leather, wool, silk and other animal products for clothing or any other purpose," according to The Vegan Society.
Events are being held around the world this month in support of veganism and can be found on the society's website.
As well as being mindful of animal welfare, becoming vegan is also a environmentally sustainable way to live. According to Vegan Action, "animal waste from massive feedlots and factory farms is a leading cause of pollution in our groundwater and rivers."
HuffPost's Lynne Peeples reports that some groups are urging people to eat less meat and cheese to help the environment, with one report estimating that if every American avoided meat and cheese one day a week, it would be like removing 7.6 million cars from the road. Peeples writes, "The production of meat and dairy requires the use of large amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed and water, and it releases greenhouse gases, manure and a range of toxic chemicals into our air and water."
All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows Day or Hallowmas, is the day after Halloween. It is a feast day when Catholics and Anglicans remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown.
ReplyDeleteThe day is celebrated in different ways around the world. In some countries, people visit the graves of dead relatives and bring flowers or light candlies there.
This day the Church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. During the early centuries the Saints venerated by the Church were all martyrs. Later on the Popes set November 1 as the day for commemorating all the Saints.
Established in 1994 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Vegan Society, World Vegan Day shares November 1st with All Souls' Day and is the anniversary of a number of other important events in history, too.
ReplyDeleteSo what's happening on November 1st? Well this year WVD is hoping that a record number of people will pledge to try 'plant based eating' at least for one day. But, there are other pledges that you can take so why not visit the official website for more information about how you can take part in a meat free diet.
Much emphasis is on utilising World Vegan Day to celebrate a shared for the issues surrounding food and a respect for animals. Young businesses will be getting involved in the conferences and events of the day, which are described as being 100% vegetable!