On Saturday, November 22, a Who’s-Who of nearly 100 notable plant-eaters gathered at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia for a unique 1890s vegan Thanksgiving celebration, the brainchild of Seth Tibbott of Tofurky fame. The American Vegan Society fundraiser brought together nine local plant-based chefs and restauranteurs to create a veganized version of a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal that Seth found in a Good Housekeeping magazine dated from near the turn of the previous century. What follows is my little recap of the event. Now sing along…
I was famished when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this morning mornin’
Could’ve sworn it was Thanksgiving Day
The Philly crowd were Big Wigs
Movers/shakers left and right of me
Dyin’ to get interviewed
By Jane of UnchainedTV
Is known for Tofurky
But now he’s gone back in time
So tonight I’m gonna vegan like it’s 1899
(1899)
Crazy is all around us; my mind says fight or flight
But no one’s gonna die as I feed my body tonight
It’s an American Vegan Society fundraiser
Ladies and gents dressed so fine
And all the recipes are dated from 1899
(That’s 1899!)
If ya didn’t come to party
Don’t bother walkin’ through the door
Even Marie Antoinette is here
Though she lost her head 100 years before
Everyone’s in agreement
No animals will die today
With Miss Rachel’s Pantry in the kitchen
And Carley Cakes baking away…
Christina Pirello won an Emmy
Tonight she dished the White Fruitcake
Fran Costigan is a legend
The Pumpkin Pudding was hers to bake
Oh, they say
Two thousand vegan-vegan party animals
Gone back in time
Cause tonight in Philadelphia
It feels like 1899
(That’s 1899!)
AR lawyers and business owners
The guys who make Dandies, please
Kirsten & Fred came from Austin
But I didn’t get any Rebel Cheese
Guests came from Florida, New York
Even England and L.A.
People from far and wide
All coming to say
If you’re still eating animals
You should be in fear of Judgment Day
In addition to the above, additional highlights that do not fit well into misappropriated Prince lyrics included three generations of Dinshahs (Freya, Anne, and Clint), an electric horseless carriage, a barbershop quartet, ballroom dancing, and a “Best Dressed” contest, awarded to Citrini Devi.
Citrini Devi: For me, one of the motivations for veganism is care of our planet and natural resources, so my first and primary inspiration was, “What can I do with what I have? What can I reuse and recycle?” I looked at some photographs of fashion at the time to remind myself that it involved dark colors (or white shirts), long skirts, high-necked blouses, bustles, lace, fascinators, and gloves. The only item I purchased was a modest bustle. Everything else came from an assortment of items I had or borrowed. I had the long, lace skirt, the lace high-necked blouse, the vegan lace-up boots, and the fitted jacket. The gloves and fascinator were repurposed from other Halloween costumes. I had the earrings, but borrowed the necklace, bracelet, and broach. It was such great fun!
Congratulations to the American Vegan Society, Seth Tibbott, the nine participating Chefs, and Walnut Hill College for staging a most unique gala that will be talked about for years to come. I can’t recall a more memorable vegan event and was thrilled to see so many thoroughly and truly enjoying themselves. 🌱
For additional info on the event, see the 1890s Vegan Thanksgiving Gala. If you enjoyed this post please consider making a donation to AVS here. To watch the VeganLinked interview with Seth Tibbott, click here.
