Vegans at Christmas

Sign up to our daily newsletter Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Sunderland Echo, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. So what do you buy them for Christmas? Are they really awkward and complicated and expensive to buy for? The answer is none of these, you just need to be aware of a couple of things. Veganism is not just about the food - it is the whole ethical lifestyle so while food presents are always welcome there are many other gifts you can give.

When you buy toiletries or make-up look for the cruelty free logo and the words ‘vegan’ (some can have the logo but have animal products like milk or honey in them). Advertisement Advertisement Chocolate and sweets are always very welcome in my house – check that they show the vegan logo (some products are ‘accidentally vegan’ but to be safe rather than sorry, look for ‘vegan’). If the vegan in your life is a fashionista then there are some fabulous ethical companies who produce handbags, shoes and boots made from textiles like vegan leather (some of the more hardwearing products are made from pineapple leather and mushroom leather).



A lot of us who are activists really love a good tee or top with a message on which you can get from many of the vegan groups across the UK. If you want something subtle as well as stylish look for some of the higher end brands by Googling ‘vegan fashion’ + whatever you are looking for. If you are buying alcohol (and a vegan Baileys equivalent is always popular), again, check they have the magic word ‘vegan’ in the labelling.

Advertisement Advertisement While most wines are suitable for vegans some still use isinglass (fish bladder) in the refining process. There are some great books out there for us too – whether we want to hone up on our vegan knowledge or read a biography or cook up some new recipes, there is a lot of choice. My favourites at the moment are a vegan lifestyle journal and an autobiography by an activist.

Although you can buy gifts for vegans pretty much everywhere now, we always try to support those smaller independent traders, especially local ones. So if you want some inspiration take a look at a well-known artisan website, pop in a few key words and see what comes up to whet your appetite. Advertisement Advertisement Like most people, some vegans want to be spoiled over Christmas while others like myself appreciate the effort made.

My favourite gift from recent years is a homemade advent calendar. My lovely friend produced one few years ago for me and now has to every year! Whatever gift you give the vegan in your life, the most important thing is that you have made them feel special not awkward. Christmas can be quite unpleasant for vegans so even if you don’t understand their chosen lifestyle you can still be part of their Christmas by giving a thoughtful gift.

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