Observance Daily What day is today, and why are we celebrating it?
World Vegan Day is celebrated every November 1. It marks the start of World Vegan Month and celebrates plant-based living for animals, people and the environment. What began as an anniversary for a small British society has grown into a worldwide moment each autumn when vegan food, ideas and communities take centre stage.
History of World Vegan Day
The Vegan Society was founded in the United Kingdom in November 1944 by Donald Watson and fellow non-dairy vegetarians, who coined the word “vegan” — formed from the first and last letters of “vegetarian” — for a way of living that avoided all animal-derived products, not just meat. In the middle of the Second World War, a small group of vegetarians who had given up dairy as well as meat decided their way of eating needed a name of its own, and Watson’s new word gave the movement an identity it still carries today.
World Vegan Day itself was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then chair of The Vegan Society, to mark the society’s 50th anniversary. The exact founding date in November 1944 was not recorded, so Wallis chose November 1, a date she liked for coinciding with Samhain/Halloween and the Day of the Dead, traditional times of feasting. The choice wove the new observance into a season already associated with harvest, remembrance and shared meals — and gave the society’s half-century a fixed point on the calendar.
Since then, World Vegan Day has spread far beyond its British origins. It now opens World Vegan Month each November, a whole month during which vegan groups, restaurants, food brands and publishers run events, menus and campaigns. The day’s growth mirrors the wider growth of plant-based eating: what was once a fringe position in 1944 is now a mainstream choice discussed in parliaments, boardrooms and school canteens.
How to celebrate World Vegan Day
- Cook one fully plant-based meal, trying a new recipe rather than a substitute for an old favourite. Pick a dish from a cuisine with deep plant-based traditions and cook it properly.
- Host a small vegan potluck, or bring a plant-based dish to share. Food is the day’s most persuasive argument.
- Read a label: check one everyday product for hidden animal ingredients. You may be surprised what turns up where.
- Plan a plant-based breakfast for the coming week — the easiest meal of the day to change, and a habit that sticks.
- Use the day as the first day of World Vegan Month: try one new plant-based meal a week through November and keep notes on what you liked.
- Talk about it. Tell a friend or colleague why the day exists — the story of Donald Watson coining “vegan” in 1944 is a good place to start.
Why World Vegan Day matters
World Vegan Day matters because it puts the idea of plant-based living — for animals, people and the environment — on the calendar in a positive, celebratory way. It is not a day of protest but a day of invitation: try the food, hear the arguments, and decide for yourself. For the curious, it lowers the barrier to a first experiment; for committed vegans, it is a moment of community and visibility. And by opening World Vegan Month, it turns a single day’s curiosity into a month-long exploration, which is how lasting changes in habits usually begin.
World Vegan Day: frequently asked questions
When is World Vegan Day? It is celebrated every November 1, and it marks the start of World Vegan Month.
Who coined the word “vegan”? Donald Watson and his fellow non-dairy vegetarians, when they founded The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom in November 1944. They formed the word from the first and last letters of “vegetarian”.
Who established World Vegan Day? Louise Wallis, then chair of The Vegan Society, established it in 1994 for the society’s 50th anniversary.
Why November 1? The exact founding date in November 1944 was not recorded, so November 1 was chosen — a date Wallis also liked for coinciding with Samhain/Halloween and the Day of the Dead, traditional times of feasting.
What is World Vegan Month? The month that World Vegan Day opens each November: a whole month of vegan events, menus and campaigns around the world.
Related November 1 observances
World Vegan Day shares its date with All Saints’ Day and the start of Día de los Muertos — both traditional times of feasting that helped fix November 1 as the day. For food lovers, National Vinegar Day, also on November 1, celebrates one of the plant-based cook’s most useful staples.
Read more about November 1 on November 1 Holidays, Observances and History.