Great American Meat Out Day – March 20, 2025

History of Great American Meat Out Day

The Great American Meatout Day is a pro-vegan holiday that has been championed by the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) since 1985. This holiday aims to sensitize members of the public as to the environmental risks of regarding meat as such a high-demand food option, particularly as much of that meat is from farm animals. The Farm Animal Rights Movement is an international nonprofit organization working to promote a vegetarian lifestyle and the protection of animal rights through public education and sensitization.

The FARM seeks to ensure a society where animals are free from all forms of human exploitation, including, and particularly, food. The organization has a mission to prevent and protect the largest number of animals from being bred, abused, and slaughtered for food, as this accounts for 98% of all animal abuse and slaughter. FARM was established in 1976 as the Vegetarian Information Service which aimed at distributing information on the benefits of a vegetarian diet. It would then change identities again five years later in 1981 when it became the Farm Animal Reform Movement.

Great American Meatout was launched in 1985 in protest of the U.S. Senate resolution’s proclamation of National Meat Week. It has since grown into one of the world’s largest annual grassroots diet education campaigns. The March 20 date of the holiday is also the first day of spring, and as such, is symbolic of an opportunity to start a new chapter. The occasion is observed each year by hundreds of activists in the U.S. and 24 other countries. FARM encourages people to ditch the meat lifestyle and take the opportunity of the first day of spring to begin their vegan or vegetarian journey.