FARGO – Celebrating a holiday based in large part on largesse can
be tough for vegans and vegetarians.
“We had one gal – she had never
been to anything where she could eat everything,” said Kathleen Keene of
Moorhead.
The woman, a vegan, told Keene
she was usually reduced to eating only corn and salad at Thanksgiving
celebrations with family.
That was before a group of local
vegans and vegetarians began holding an annual “Gentle Thanksgiving” at St.
Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Fargo, celebrating what they call a
“cruelty-free” holiday.
“Most people are coming as a
refugee – they’re the only ones who are vegan or vegetarian [in their
households]. We have kind of adopted each other as a family,” said Keene, one
of the dinner’s organizers.
Gentle Thanksgiving began locally
seven years ago, put on by Fargo-Moorhead Vegetarians and Vegans. It was based
on a national movement to take the turkey out of Turkey Day and introduce
celebrating the holidays without meat or animal products.
The local Thanksgiving potluck,
which was held Sunday this year, is open to the public, but Keene said they
have to keep the guest list limited to 50 because of lack of space at the church.
Four meat eaters were present
this year, one of whom came with her vegetarian husband. Keene said that
doesn’t seem to pose a problem at their events.
“If you don’t advertise, people
don’t realize it’s anything different than you usually eat,” Keene said.
Granted, that’s coming from a
vegan. It’s the sort of gathering where the green beans with real cheese on top
just sat off in the corner by themselves. The big hit this year was the vegan
mac and “cheese.”
Elizabeth Pausch of Christine
hopes to replicate the dish after going back for seconds and trying to snag the
recipe from a fellow member.
“He says he doesn’t have a recipe
for it, which saddens me greatly,” said Pausch, who brought another big hit,
the pumpkin-chocolate chip cake.
Since it’s a feast almost
entirely free of animal products, there’s less of a focus on a single
centerpiece entrée. Still, mock meat products like Tofurky (tofu made to taste
like turkey) are popular. Keene tries to get the companies that produce them to
donate them each year.
Aside from the food, the main
attraction for many is that the gathering can be fraught with less friction
than they find at home.
Keene said many members find
themselves bringing their own food to family gatherings, rather than impose
upon the cook to provide something special.
But bringing one’s own, or even
refusing food the host offers, even when it’s based on health or ethical objections,
can create hurt feelings as well, she agreed.
“I had a moment – ‘I guess I’m
going to have to host it myself,’ ” she said.
Pausch said bringing vegan and
vegetarian traditions to the family table can be done incrementally. Her moment
of triumph was getting her father to concede that vegan mashed potatoes tasted
like – no kidding – mashed potatoes.
“I didn’t push for a lot of vegan
things,” she said.
