2024 is a really particular 12 months. We have now a complete additional day in February to do, see, and eat all of the vegan issues as a result of it’s a bissextile year. Listed below are 29 methods to have fun in vegan model. (Additionally, a really completely happy birthday to those that have missed out for the final three years—go get your self some vegan cake! It’s been far too lengthy.)
Why do we now have leap years?
Each 4 years, an additional day is added to February to maintain the calendar 12 months synchronized with the photo voltaic 12 months, which is the time it takes for the Earth to finish its orbit across the solar. This additional day compensates for the truth that the Earth’s orbit across the solar is definitely roughly 365.25 days, not a neat 365. With out common leap years, over time, our calendar would regularly fall out of sync with the seasons.
This additional day is particular for a lot of. Around the globe, about 5 million persons are “Leaplings” (aka individuals who had been born on February 29, and solely get to have fun their actual start date each 4 years). Some ladies might also select to suggest on Leap Day, as a result of an Irish legend that originated across the fifth century.
In response to the legend, St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about ladies having to attend too lengthy for males to suggest marriage. In response, St. Patrick supposedly decreed that on Leap Day, ladies had been allowed to suggest to males. After all, in 2024, this legend is outdated, however some nonetheless select to embrace it as a enjoyable and unconventional solution to have fun the bissextile year.
However apart from getting engaged, there are various (barely much less life-changing) methods to have fun the bissextile year. Under, we’ve listed 29 enjoyable actions that you are able to do to honor this big day.
29 vegan methods to have fun the Leap 12 months
Spicy Moon
1 Strive a brand new vegan restaurant
New vegan and vegan-friendly eating places are establishing themselves throughout the nation, and never simply in main cities. Whereas it’s troublesome to interrupt out of your tried-and-true spots, give one other enterprise an opportunity. Further vegan brownie factors in case you uncover a improbable vegan menu at a non-vegan restaurant. Take a look at a few of our favourite vegan eating places within the US right here.
2 Really prepare dinner out of your vegan cookbooks
For those who’re something like us, the bigger the cookbook assortment, the much less you end up cooking from them. With such an enormous array of recipes, the place do you even start? Beginning as we speak, choose a ebook, and decide to a recipe. For extra of a problem, decide to a complete chapter of a cookbook and work your means by it over a set time period (a month sometimes works). We are able to assure you’ll rediscover a ardour for cooking—and luxuriate in restaurant-quality meals alongside the best way. And if you wish to attempt a brand new cookbook, yow will discover 100 of the highest vegan cookbooks of all time right here.
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3 Tag a vegan blogger after making their recipe
All of us have our go-to recipe blogs, however how typically will we acknowledge the blogger? The subsequent time you make that foolproof vegan chili or important lentil loaf, share it in your socials and tag the blogger to say thanks.
Karma Baker
4 Order a vegan cake by mail
There’s one thing splendidly self-indulgent and opulent about ordering a cake for your self. Whereas we wouldn’t suggest this as an everyday behavior—your pockets received’t thanks—we additionally consider that you simply don’t want a special day for cake. Take a look at these 9 vegan desserts that ship nationwide.
5 Replenish on vegan Woman Scout cookies
From Peanut Butter Patties to Skinny Mints, six Woman Scout cookie flavors are vegan-approved! Monitor down your native scout and assist them attain their gross sales targets—these delights freeze effectively, so purchase in bulk.
Fossil
6 Deal with your self to a vegan leather-based accent
Vegan leather-based shouldn’t be the plastic-y materials it as soon as was—from Piñatex to apple leather-based to different beautifully made artificial supplies, we’re proud to flaunt our vegan leather-based jackets, purses, belts, sneakers, and wallets. Refresh your wardrobe with a brand new vegan leather-based style assertion. Discover out extra about vegan leather-based right here.
Jackie Sobon
7 Host a vegan potluck
Potlucks are the proper solution to deliver folks collectively from throughout your social networks as a result of everybody can bond over meals—whether or not they’re vegan or in any other case. For those who’re inviting omnivores, assist them out by suggesting a few straightforward recipes or store-bought gadgets they’ll deliver—resembling bulk gadgets from the Entire Meals scorching bar or frozen apps from Dealer Joe’s.
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8 Strive each menu merchandise at your favourite vegan restaurant
In case your native vegan spot can recite your order—together with the e-mail linked to your loyalty account—it’s time to attempt one thing new. Spend the day (and past) exploring the menu by capitalizing on the restaurant’s specials or ordering customary gadgets you’ve merely neglected.
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9 Ask an area restaurant to supply vegan choices
For the restaurant that solely presents French fries or a tragic iceberg salad for his or her vegan patrons, it’s time to present them a bit of nudge towards the longer term. The subsequent time your pals drag you there, politely pull the supervisor apart as you permit and allow them to understand how appreciative you—and sure many different prospects—could be in the event that they put a number of extra plant-based choices on the menu. If confrontation makes you squirm, a easy electronic mail will suffice.
Sea Shepherd
10 Donate to a vegan nonprofit
You’ll be able to like and touch upon all the lovely pig pictures posted by your favourite vegan nonprofit, however a bit of money can actually assist them make a distinction. No want to interrupt out the checkbook—the quantity you pay for a medium up-charged oat milk latte will do. Discover 10 vegan nonprofits working to make the world kinder right here.
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11 Volunteer for a vegan nonprofit
Charities resembling Chilis on Wheels have chapters throughout the US and assist present scorching vegan meals for individuals who want them most. Discover your native group and provide your time filling and distributing burritos to the hungry. Animal sanctuaries and coastal cleanups need assistance, too. For those who’re in a position to put in some guide labor, your efforts will certainly be appreciated.
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12 Launch a vegan cookbook membership
The idea is easy—rally a gaggle of mates, choose a cookbook, set an everyday assembly time, and assign one individual to make a unique dish from the ebook for every gathering. You’ll get to style quite a lot of recipes with out making all of them your self. You’ll want to bookmark your favorites.
13 Learn Food regimen for a New America
Ask somebody who has been vegan for over 20 years, and the overwhelming majority of them will level to this seminal work as their inspiration to make the change. Penned by John Robbins—the Baskin Robbins inheritor who walked away from the silver ice cream scoop to pursue a plant-based life-style—the ebook outlines the moral, environmental, and well being implications of an animal-based weight loss program. Consider it because the vegan bible.
Espresso and Crops
14 Purchase a stranger a vegan latte
Random acts of kindness are practically at all times effectively acquired. So, together with holding doorways open for others and smiling politely at folks on the road as an alternative of pretending they don’t exist, provide to purchase a plant-based beverage for the individual behind you on the espresso store.
Avaline
15 Pop a bottle of vegan wine
February 18 was Nationwide Wine Day, however in case you missed it, February 29 is the proper time to have fun. Certain, it’s simply one other a type of made-up meals holidays, but when it provides us an incentive to open a bottle of vegan wine, cheers!
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16 Watch a vegan documentary
For those who nonetheless haven’t seen The Sport Changers, Seaspiracy, What the Well being, Forks Over Knives, or Cowspiracy, it’s about time. Use the additional day this month to squeeze in a 90-minute documentary. Invite a non-vegan good friend or member of the family to view it with you and watch their perspective change earlier than your eyes. For much more vegan documentaries to observe, take a look at our information right here.
17 Subscribe to a vegan journal
A little bit of shameless self-promotion right here, however nothing can compete with kicking again and flipping by a print journal when you want to calm down. For those who’re already a VegNews subscriber, pop the bubbly, run a shower, and seize your favourite points for the last word night time in.
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18 Go to your native vegan pop-up
In lots of metropolitan areas—and suburbs as effectively—vegan pop-ups have turn out to be part of the culinary group. Get out and help your native small enterprise distributors at your nearest pop-up, meals truck, or farmers’ market.
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19 Deal with your self to a vegan occasion
There are vegan pop-ups, after which there are ticketed full-blown occasions. You’ve informed your self yearly that you simply’ll purchase a ticket, however in the long run, simply can’t justify it. It’s a Leap 12 months, which implies this 12 months is particular. Purchase the ticket and go have enjoyable!
Pexe;s
20 Undertake or foster
Give a furry good friend a everlasting residence and a few much-needed love. Go to your native animal shelter or look into the BeFeegle Basis—a rescue that rehabilitates and finds loving properties for “retired” analysis beagles. Not able to decide to a brand new member of the family? Take into account fostering. Rescues are continuously in want of short-term properties for yet-to-be-adopted animals, and it lets you do some good with out the life-long dedication. 
21 Get a vegan tattoo
For those who’ve been desirous about it for some time, now could be the time to get that V stamp, or maybe a fairly homage to wildlife or nature. After all, you possibly can at all times go the henna route.
22 Bake vegan goodies for the workplace
The quickest solution to flip somebody vegan is thru their stomachs. Bake up a batch of your favourite vegan brownies and share along with your co-workers. They don’t must know you’ve gotten ulterior motives to transform all of them—they’ll simply be excited for the candy deal with.
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23 Take part in a vegan meetup (or on-line group)
Vegan meals are higher shared. Search Meetup.com for native vegan teams in your space. In case your search is arising quick, flip to Fb for the plethora of on-line plant-based communities from entire meals plant-based athlete teams to digital vegan cookbook golf equipment.
Francesca Bonadonna
24 Make your personal seitan or tofu
Consider this as a vegan ceremony of passage. For individuals who can tolerate gluten, seitan is a staple in vegan delicacies—it’s excessive in protein, mimics that crave-worthy meaty texture, and takes on the flavour of no matter spices or marinade strike your fancy. For the tofu route, the method is a little more concerned however effectively definitely worth the effort. A phrase of warning—store-bought won’t ever be the identical.
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25 Get pleasure from a calming at-home spa day
We love any excuse to deal with ourselves, and we reckon Leap Day is the proper time for a little bit of self-care. Observe our information to creating a vegan residence spa oasis, and order candles, foot scrubs, and your favourite loose-leaf tea, so that you’re prepared for a day stuffed with pure rest.
Dustin Tougher
26 Excellent the last word cookie recipe
Most of us have made cookies in some unspecified time in the future in our lives, however in case you’ve acquired a little bit of spare time this February 29, it’s an important alternative to improve your recipe. Take a look at our 9 ideas for taking your chocolate chip cookies to the subsequent stage—your style buds will find it irresistible.
Kristy Turner
27 Make an elaborate brunch
We’ve acquired to confess, brunch is the most effective meal of the week. It’s normally loved on the weekend, however we expect February 29 is the proper excuse to deliver it ahead a number of days. Discover 25 scrumptious brunch recipes right here for inspiration—the mouthwatering listing contains every thing from maple peanut butter pancakes to tofu breakfast tacos.
MonsterVegan/Leo Serrat
28 Plan a vegan trip
The one factor that beats truly taking the holiday needs to be the planning course of. Okay, possibly not the executive work of reserving flights and accommodations and figuring out logistics, however extra the concepts half. Sit down with a cup of espresso and a vegan snack, and work your means by our journey guides to seek out your subsequent vacation spot. Good luck deciding!
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29 Improve your closet
On-line purchasing is at all times enjoyable, and we received’t hear in any other case. For those who suppose your wardrobe wants an improve, use the additional day this 12 months to spend a bit of little bit of time on Depop or Vinted trying to find nice secondhand, sustainable finds. Alternatively, you may spend the day trying out new vegan style manufacturers. You could find loads of our guides to vegan sneakers, coats, activewear, swimwear, and extra, right here.
For extra on vegan holidays, learn:
