Anya is just like any other 12 year old girl, so buying a gift for her should be easy... Except for 2 things that are different about her;
1) She is vegan
2) She's actually pretty awesome, unlike most 12 year olds I know.
Buying presents comes quite easily to me, as I'm usually pretty good at it, however this time I had quite a bit of trouble.
Being vegan means that not only do you not eat any kind of meat, you also do not eat, drink, wear, consume, or own anything with animal origin.
That goes for wool, milk, eggs, honey, beeswax, vitamin D from sheep wool, horse riding, animal skin, or any other body part. Certain food colourings, that come from crushed female insects, that are put in sweets and other foods. Carmine or shellac, which are put on products to make them have a shiny look, as this also comes from crushed insects. Also, use of animals in circuses, or aquariums are against their beliefs.
So, it's pretty hard to think of a lot without any of these things in.
I found a lovely pair of owl-themed, hand warmers, that when clicked, warmed your hands, with a heating sensation. They were the last pair, so I was ready to snatch them up, before anyone else. Unfortunately, they were made from wool, and were out of the question.
After asking my sister if wool was OK, as the sheep are not harmed when wool is made, and are simply needed to be shaven, in the summer, due to the heat, she explained, that the welfare of the sheep was not the matter at hand. Vegans do not take anything consumed by an animal, regardless as to weather it had been harmed or not.
To be honest, I found this difficult to understand. I understand why someone would not want to consume, wear, or have anything from an animal, if it had been harmed, but couldn't understand why it would be a problem, if they hadn't. Still... Each to their own.
I'm going to Devon tomorrow afternoon, so I have until then to find a gift!
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