World vegetarian day

World Vegetarian Day is held every year on October the 1st. It was started in the USA by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS). Many countries have similar celebrations held on different days. They all celebrate the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. In 1977, the NAVS said it wanted to "promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism." It hoped to raise awareness of the ethical, environmental, health and humanitarian benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. The number of people turning to vegetarianism is increasing every year. There are about one million new vegetarians in the United States every year. October 1st sees many of them celebrate their food and eat lots of it.

Vegetarianism is when you follow a diet that excludes meat, fish, shellfish, and other animal products. There are several different types of vegetarian. A vegan will not eat meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey or anything else from or made by animals. Most vegetarians eat and drink dairy products and eat eggs. These are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. ‘Lacto’ is the Latin word for milk and ‘ovo’ means egg. Other people say they are vegetarian but they eat fish. Many people are vegetarian for ethical, health, and/or religious reasons. Scientists say we must all be vegetarian to help save the Earth. There is not enough land for us all to be carnivores, or meat-eaters.