Easy Ways to Veganize Halloween, Pt. 1
"My body is not a tomb for animals."
-Leonardo da Vinci
This Is Halloween!
Forget Christmas, Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year! Thanksgiving who? What can be more selfless and in the giving spirit than buying tons of treats to give to strangers? But in reality, any holiday is hard on animals, for they are the ones paying in blood for our festivities. Millions of nonvegan chocolates and candies are handed out to children on Halloween night. Parties are hosted with spooky pigs-in-a-blankets (which, to be fair, are pretty terrifying on their own), creepy punch bowls, and eerie cupcakes. Regardless of the silly costumes and decorations, Halloween is a truly haunting, daunting holiday to a vegan. So let's veganize it!
1. Accidentally Vegan Candy/Snack Options
Sour Patch Kids
Skittles
AirHeads
Smarties
Dum Dums
Swedish Fish
Blow Pops
Cocomels
Justin's
Cornucopia (vegan popcorn)
YumEarth
I love their Sour Twists
Enjoy Life
Their rice milk mini chocolate chip snack pack is great for trick-or-treaters
Unreal
Don't worry about missing out on chocolate-peanut butter cups, they've got you covered!
2. Vegan Makeup & Costumes
I said once that my hair was so wild and unruly that I felt like Medusa, so that was my final Halloween costume, my freshman year of college. Unfortunately, that meant buying green hair dye and lipstick, a rubber snake I never used again, and a toga costume. I get that wearing costumes is fun and exciting, even for adults, but we should also be aware of where these products come from, how they're produced, and what ingredients they contain. Instead, try making your own costume with things you already have or can buy secondhand or from ethical sources; those cheap costumes in Halloween stores will never look as cool or feel as comfortable and rewarding as something you could create yourself. If you, like me, want to dye your hair, try brands like Manic Panic or Arctic Fox. For vegan makeup, check out PETA's Halloween makeup guide.
3. Vegan Activism
3.1 Dominion Screening
Dominion is the scariest movie I've ever seen, with Earthlings coming in a close second. There is nothing more horrifying and blood-curdling than animal agriculture. So, instead of watching Paranormal Activity or Hocus Pocus, try hosting a Dominion screening at your home or at a venue in your area instead.
In 2018, activist Jordan SteVen organized a mystery horror movie (Dominion) screening at a local theater. While he did have to disclose that the movie contained graphic violence, including violence to animals, he was still allowed to show the film to a roomful of unsuspecting carnists.[1] This could be an...interesting Halloween surprise for some people. I'd also suggest bringing some free holiday-themed cookies, cupcakes, or other snacks to offer to your movie-goers.
3.2 Protest, Direct Action, Cube of Truth, Demonstration, or Vigil
Instead of doing a normal protest or demonstration, Halloweenize it. (It's a word if I say it is.) Take the spooky theme of the season and apply it to traditional activism activities. You can dress up in animal-themed costumes or take a PETA-like approach with fake blood and gore. Or you can take these outfits to a local slaughterhouse/factory farm for an appropriately-themed protest.
3.3 Activism Apparel
This Halloween, I plan to spend the day in my "Dairy is Scary" Halloween-themed hoodie; I'm just hoping it won't be 80 degrees outside. It's always a good time to spread the message, but Halloween is particularly perfect because there is absolutely nothing scarier than animal agriculture. And if you don't like to dress up, this can count as your costume or festive outfit for this year.
4. Visit a Sanctuary, Not a Zoo
Zoos, aquariums, and animal parks always have things planned for the holiday season. Instead of a farm or petting zoo, visit an animal sanctuary. You'll still get to be close to animals, but in that case, the animals aren't prisoners. Instead of a zoo or aquarium, go to a Halloween night at an amusement park. Basically every single entertainment establishment will have something special planned for Halloween, so just give 'em a try.
5. Favorite Homemade Fall Treats
5.1 Pumpkin Pie
My autumn season is never complete without a plethora of pumpkin pies. They are, hands down, my favorite thing to eat from September through December (and maybe one or two in the new year, too). My mom and I have been using this recipe from Loving It Vegan for the last year quite successfully. Topped with some Forks Over Knives aquafaba-based, three-ingredient whipped cream, it's simply sublime.
5.2 Apple Cider Doughnuts
While in Vermont many years ago, I discovered how much I adore apple cider doughnuts. (Seriously, I could eat half a dozen for breakfast.) Anything apple or apple-cider flavored is good in my book; I'm definitely one of those suckers that gets so excited seeing all the pumpkin spice- and apple- and fall-themed goodies in stores. This year, I'll be trying this recipe from Vegan Richa.
5.3 Harry Potter Inspirations
I LOVE Harry Potter, almost as much as I love Halloween. Being just a few hours from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter means you'd think I could just go there to get all the treats and sweets I'd like. But alas, most of their foods aren't vegan-friendly (Universal, get on Disney's level!), so I'll just save some money, lots of time, and make the goodies on my own! The possibilities are endless: pumpkin juice, pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, cockroach clusters, rock cakes, and, of course, butterbeer. And as an added bonus, you can sign the Protego Foundation's vegan butterbeer petition to encourage Universal Studios to provide non-dairy butterbeer at the parks for Muggles, No-Majes, and witches and wizards alike! And make sure to stay up to date with our favorite vegan witch, Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), as she campaigns for animal and magical creature rights.
5.4 A Healthier Option
I'm not sure if there's a fruit more autumnal than the classic apple, but either way, I love 'em. Any time of the year, one of my favorite simple snacks is apple slices with peanut butter, and that's particularly perfect for this time of year. (And Wild Friends pumpkin spice peanut butter takes this classic snack to the next level.) But another option that I'm currently obsessing over is Forks Over Knives' simple date paste. It's already super sweet and delicious paired with apple slices!
6. Haunting Vegan Slime
With how popular slime has been over the last few years, you'd think there would be tons of information on how to veganize it. But there isn't. In my research for vegan slime, I came across only a few truly vegan (and simple) recipes, like this one. For a Halloween twist, add some vegan food coloring or try turmeric to give your slime a nice orange hue, as seen in this recipe. To spice things up, adorn your slime jar with spooky decorations.
Stay Tuned!
Watch out for next week's post, where I'll be discussing more ways to veganize Halloween: vegan candies, other homemade vegan treats, bonus activism ideas, and more!
be conscious, be kind, be vegan