Easy Ways to Veganize Easter

Apr 02, 2020

"We do so many things for tradition’s sake … that few of us can remember why we really did them in the first place."
–Jessica Cluess,
A Shadow Bright and Burning

Though we're all self-quarantining this Easter and won't be able to spend time with family, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate. In fact, what we may need most are some veganized holiday traditions to lift all our spirits!

1. Paint wooden eggs

One of the few Easter traditions in my family was dyeing eggs. For the last four years, I haven't done that, and I wasn't sure if I could ever have that experience again. But, if you want a similar experience to egg-dyeing without killing chickens, painting wooden eggs might be right for you. (You could even go the extra mile and try your hand at making natural paints out of plants.) With these, you can retain family traditions and also keep memories of all your Easters. Within a few years, you'll have a beautiful collection ready for display each time the holiday rolls around.

2. Dye vegan marshmallows

This idea comes by way of Organic Authority, sent to me by my mom who has been trying to figure out how to dye eggs without actually dyeing eggs. Simply purchase some Dandie's marshmallows -- generic marshmallows won't do because they contain gelatin -- and soak them in plant-based food coloring for a few minutes. And voila! Dyed vegan Easter "eggs."

3. Introverted activism

3.1 Protest the sale of chicks and rabbits. Animals are not gifts; they are living creatures that need attention and care. Unfortunately, with our boredom in self-quarantine and the Easter holiday fast approaching, baby chicks have "sold out" across America as people are looking for something to do to pass the time. But buying sentient beings -- especially with plans to exploit them for their eggs -- is not a hobby. Send word to local sellers that the public does not support this practice. Hand out leaflets to people going to buy these animals. Participate in animal rights campaigns against this practice.

3.2 Raise awareness of the cruelty of the egg industry. There are many animal rights organizations, sanctuaries, and vegans online creating shareable content so you don't even need to leave your house to be active -- all it takes is a few clicks and you can share important information with the entire world. You can also do chalking, which requires no human interaction. If you're feeling bold, hand out pamphlets outside (once we're no longer social distancing) or stuff them in people's mailboxes.

3.3 Share vegan recipes with your family. It's much easier to get people connected with veganism when they know just how good the food is! By sharing vegan recipes with them, especially if they're willing to serve them to the whole family, you're helping them realize how easy making vegan food can be.

3.4 Introverted Activist cards. You can check out my Free Resources page, and print out informational cards to hand out to people you know. While I've created many pertaining to different issues, you may want to try some of the ones dedicated to chickens and lambs for Easter.

4. Eco-friendly Easter baskets

Most Easter baskets are filled with fluffy shredded plastic and hard plastic eggs. Instead, use shredded paper or paper packing materials as a base and some of those painted wooden eggs as decoration. Fill your basket with vegan chocolate eggs, cream eggs, chocolate bunnies, and jelly beans. And throw in a vegan children's book or some activism materials for good measure. (And maybe some fruit, too, or an Easter Bunny carrot, so it's not completely unhealthy!)

5. Easter vegg hunt

When you think about it, nobody really cares about the colorful plastic eggs in an Easter egg hunt. We just want the goodies inside. So, the eggs are simply a vessel for the gift -- an incredibly wasteful, environmentally-destructive vessel. Not to mention that they perpetuate the myth that eggs are something for humans to use as we want. Instead of fake eggs, try wrapping up the treats in a more natural-looking twine or string, maybe with something shiny and colorful like a tinkly bell attached. I assure you the treasure hunt will still be quite fun without the eggs.

6. Natural decor

When I think of Easter, I think of pastels, flowers, and bunnies. Crosses, chickens, and palm fronds. Here in Florida, we have easy access to palm trees, and just by stepping outside for a few minutes, you could easily find enough palm fronds to decorate your entire home. But you can also use sticks and twigs; try making crosses out of what you can find outside to hang as wall decor. Go outside and pick some flowers for your vase instead of buying an expensive bouquet from the store.

One of my favorite decorative staples is empty jars, as I discussed way back in one of my Halloween posts. Fill them with colorful sands or pebbles, Spanish moss, palm fronds, sticks, leaves, grass, hay, flowers, whatever you want. Almost anything looks good when captured in the stillness of a glass jar. In that same vein, try your hand at a DIY flower press; you can create a beautiful piece of art perfect for springtime that can stay in the house year-round.

If you prefer traditional Easter decorations, check out local thrift stores or ask your family, friends, and neighbors if they have any extras they'd like to get rid of. People are constantly discarding old holiday decor in favor of something newer, and it seems like such a waste to let perfectly fine decorations be thrown out. All in the name of a holiday celebrated just one day out of the year.

*Obviously, if you still have all your old Easter decorations, you should keep using them and don't need to buy or make new things just because.

7. Prepare Vegan Foods

Vegan rack of lamb. For some reason, we celebrate the resurrection of the lamb of God by slaughtering actual baby sheep. I don't get it, but if you still want that lamb experience (or want to impress your nonvegan family), you still can! Remember that all the flavor we love in meat comes from the plant-based seasonings; once you get those down, creating the dish becomes much easier.

Vegan roast. But, if you don't want to go through all the trouble and experimentation of attempting to make a vegan rack of lamb, you can always buy a vegan roast from the grocery store (so long as everybody doesn't panic-buy them all up in the shopping frenzy of COVID-19).

Deviled eggs. This is probably the most accurate description of a food ever, so I propose we call the vegan version Angeled Eggs. Often made from tofu, Angeled Eggs are a tasty, healthier alternative sure to appeal to even the most stubborn of carnists.

Roasted carrots & asparagus. Appeal to the Easter Bunny in all of us with this simple veggie side dish.

Mashed potatoes. Honestly, when aren't mashed potatoes a staple in your holiday meal? Whether you make them creamy or chunky, they're sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Fruit salad. Great as an appetizer, side, dessert, or snack, you really can't go wrong with a bright, colorful fruit salad.

Easter bunny cake/cupcakes. If you're anything like me, you eat a healthy dinner just so you can follow it with a sweet dessert. Celebrate the Easter Bunny right by crafting a cake or some cupcakes in his honor.