It’s that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And Christmas is not that far behind. During the holiday season, there’s nothing worse than being alone. Anyone who’s found their significant other is lucky because they have someone to celebrate the festivities with. ;
So you’re lucky if you’re able to find your match this holiday season. You have someone to bring to your family’s festivities. You won’t hear any nagging about settling down from your parents and grandparents. You won’t hear any condescending comments from your relatives about the importance of focusing on work and not on your love life.
But what if your significant other is vegan? What if your relatives in the suburban midwest can’t understand why someone would ever give up eating turkey and ham? What if your beloved grandmother in the south gets insulted because your significant other can’t eat the turkey she worked hard preparing? ;
These are all perfectly valid concerns. But don’t fret because there are ways to work around such challenges. Here’s how.
Offering to Bring a Vegan Dish
In family gatherings for the holidays, it’s not uncommon to contribute to the array of food on the table. Some bring a variety of pies for dessert. Some bring a bottle or two of fine wine. But your significant other can bring a vegan dish that they can share with the rest of your family.
The turkey will always be the star of the show at every non-vegan family’s dinner table. So it’s not easy for your significant other to outshine it with a Tofurky Roast. But what about bringing another option for the sides? They can bring another potato-based dish such as a butternut pecan sweet potato casserole. They can also bring dessert such as an apple crumble pie. It would go well with the traditional pumpkin pie.
Asking your Family to Prepare a Vegan Dish
If your parents or other relatives insist on taking care of all the food for the celebration, then you can ask them to prepare a vegan dish for your significant other. That way, they won’t end up eating just the green beans and the cranberry sauce at the Thanksgiving table. After all, as the hosts, it’s natural for your family to prepare food that all of their guests can enjoy.
But there’s also a benefit to this. Because your family gets to prepare something special for your significant other, this is a great opportunity for them to bond. First, it’s a way to break the ice between them. And, second, it would make your significant other feel appreciated and welcome to the family. Since the holiday season is a time for family, there’s nothing better than building new familial relationships.
Creative Gift Ideas for Vegans
Gift-giving is an essential part of Christmas. But it can also be more challenging. Your family would already find it hard to think of a gift for your significant other, especially if they haven’t met yet. But it would be especially harder because they have to be conscious of their gift. It’s important to vegans that the things they own as well are cruelty-free and vegan. ;
You can help your family with creative gift ideas that can be easily bought. It could be a zero-waste lifestyle starter kit. It could be a vegan snack care package. The possibilities are endless.
And, much like cooking vegan dishes, this is the perfect opportunity for your family to get to know your significant other. It’s the best way to make them feel welcome.
Encouraging your Family to Ask About Veganism
As most vegans would tell you, it’s definitely okay to ask. It’s always good to open conversations about their vegan lifestyle. It’s the best way to share their passions and spread awareness about their advocacies for the environment. So it would be best to let your family know that they won’t need to skirt around the subject of veganism at the dinner table.
It’s what you did when you first started seeing your significant other. You asked them about their lifestyle. It’s your way of getting to know them better. And it’s what led to a deeper relationship between you two. Your family can do the same. ;
What’s important, however, is that the talk on veganism would never escalate to a heated debate. No one would want to put a damper on the celebrations.
If your family is the traditional bunch, it’s understandable for you to be worried about them meeting and liking your vegan significant other. But there’s a way to deal with the differences. What’s important, in the end, is that your family gets to know and, eventually, love this important person in your life.
