If there’s one thing that the 4th of July isn’t known for, it’s vegetarian and/or vegan options. This day is usually celebrated as Independence Day in the U.S. and is traditionally observed with barbecues featuring burgers, hot dogs, pork steaks, brisket, and ribs.

To put it another way, it’s a holiday where meat is the star of the show. However, there is a holiday observed on this day that attempts to buck this trend. This day is called Independence from Meat Day, and it’s a holiday that encourages people to give up meat, if not permanently, then at least for the day.

The History of Independence from Meat Day

This holiday has been around for a few years and was originally created by the Vegetarian Awareness Network in Tennessee. The purpose of this holiday, as one could probably ascertain, is to help people reduce their meat consumption. If this holiday can do that, then the overall consumption of meat in the United States can also be reduced.

The Benefits of Eating Less Meat

Anyone who has read this far into this holiday article is probably interested in giving up meat but may need a little bit of a push to do so. That’s why we’ve decided to do a little bit of research and find out what the benefits of a meatless existence are.

• People who eat less red meat are at a lower risk of death from diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
• Eating a more plant-based diet increases a person’s intake of fiber and antioxidants.
• Eating less meat improves the beneficial bacteria in a person’s gut.
• Eating more plants and less meat is better for the environment.

Observing Independence from Meat Day

All that this holiday requires is for a person to give up meat for the day. That’s all they have to do to observe this holiday. Of course, the hope behind this holiday is that people who give up meat for the day will be able to continue their abstinence from meat the following day, and the day after that.

Anyone and everyone observing this holiday can use the hashtag #IndependenceFromMeatDay to let the world know that they’re abstaining from meat for the next 24 hours.