For more than eleven million Australian Christians, Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts approximately 40 days, is a practice in self-denial to honour the sacrifices made by Jesus. 

Traditionally, Lent is a time of introspection, which many observe by abstaining from foods such as eggs, meat, and fish. More recently, this has evolved to include avoidance of vices like social media and alcohol, but, with more than 700 million land animals being cruelly killed in Australia every single year and the climate crisis worsening, now is the perfect time to observe Lent by leaving animals—including fish—off your plate!

Moreover, Lent is an ideal time to start enjoying a lifestyle that protects animals from abuse and lowers your carbon footprint and risk of cancer and other disease!

Animals Are Here With Us, Not For Us

Whether you’re Christian or not, kindness to others is crucial to living joyfully on a peaceful planet. Even if you’re not observant, Lent is still a wonderful time to reflect on how we can be more compassionate and put others first.

If you do believe, you’ll know that God created all species and assigned humans stewardship of all animals. Animals aren’t on Earth to be used as meat machines or entertainment, poisoned in laboratories, or to be skinned, shorn, or plucked. They exist for their own reasons: to love and be loved, raise families, and experience the world share.

Just as we love sunshine on our faces and our companion dogs love to romp in the ocean, pigs love to play, turkeys love to cuddle, and cows enjoy music.

Lent may have begun as a time to deny ourselves, but it can become a time when we stop denying animals their freedom.

“Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity.”
~ His Holiness, Pope Francis, Laudato Si

Fish Are Someone, Too

Traditionally, fish have been eaten on Fridays during Lent, but even among church leaders, this is changing as more and more people realise just how clever, unique, and complex fish are.

Fish are fascinating individuals who enjoy complex social relationships. They have demonstrated an ability to pass the “mirror test,” which indicates self-awareness, and they can recognize shoal mates. Some fish use tools and others make intricate art to woo their beloved.

Fish may suffer in silence, but they do suffer. Sadly, fish are the most widely exploited animal on Earth, hooked in the face or suffocated in nets, scooped in their trillions from their ocean homes, agonizingly experiencing what experts call “the bends on steroids” before being bludgeoned, beheaded, and gutted.

Living Vegan is No Sacrifice

The most rudimentary understanding of Lent is that it’s about “giving up” something, but when we choose not to eat animals, we simply no longer take what was never ours to begin with!

Thanks to the array of available animal-free products, “giving up” meat and other animal-derived items isn’t a hardship but a joy. You can still enjoy creamy chocolate, flaky ‘fish,’ spicy buffalo ‘wings’— even salty “caviar”— all while protecting animals and helping take the pressure off the planet!

“Choosing not to eat fish (and other animals) is the easiest way to achieve the kind of stewardship and guardianship of the whole of God’s creation to which each Christian is called.”

~ Father Terry Martin, vegan catholic priest and author  

Ready to Go Vegan for Lent and Beyond?

You’ll never look back once you realise how peaceful and easy it is to live your values of compassion and equity through veganism. Take our 30-day vegan pledge to access delicious recipes and helpful tips to stop eating body parts animals never “lent” us to begin with!