Vegans around the world will celebrate the 67th anniversary of the"birth" of their movement on Tuesday, by attending a local gatheringor simply refraining from using or eating anything from animals.
Veganism as it is known today was established as a movement in 1944, bypeople who wanted to differentiate themselves from vegetarians by abstainingnot only from the consumption of meat, but also from both the consumption anduse of all animal products. RELATED:Veganism - doing the right thingIs vegan in vogue
While there are various reasons for vegan diets, most are guided byethical, dietary and environmental concerns. Estimates put the number of vegansin the US at around 2 million and the UK at 250,000.
Critics of veganism point to a lack of protein in a poorly-planned vegandiet, but the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada regard avegan diet as appropriate for all ages if planned well.
The Vegan Day celebration in Los Angeles will include a DJ, street vendorsand a silent auction, a brunch will be held in Paris, andLincoln, UK will have a street fair.