Easter and Passover are holidays that signal the start of Spring. Fresh buds on trees, fuzzy baby chicks, newborn lambs and bunnies are used in our celebrations to represent new life. Families come together to celebrate the warmer weather and special holidays. However, for a season meant to honor and celebrate life, these Spring holidays can be a scary time for animals.

Each year millions of lambs lose their lives to be served for Easter meals, or used for zeroah (the bone of a lamb shank laid on a platter as one of the five symbolic foods at Passover) on Seder plates. And while dying eggs is a fun Easter tradition for many families, the reality of the conditions hens used for their eggs experience in their lives in order to produce so many eggs every year is tragic.

Giving the gift of baby bunnies and chicks, who are often dyed colors to make them “cuter”, may seem like a harmless and fun idea to some. However, after the holidays are over most of these animals are discarded. Every year, animal rescues and sanctuaries like Barn Sanctuary get inundated with abandoned babies.

This year we encourage you to ditch some of the old holiday traditions, that do more harm than good, for new ones that truly embody the spirit of Spring. Join us in honoring and celebrating life this season by taking a pledge to go cruelty-free this Easter or Passover. By taking this pledge, you can make a difference in the individual lives of millions of animals.

The Pledge

This Easter or Passover, I pledge to:

Keep animals off my plate by eating plant-based meals.

Keep my crafts and activities egg-free.

Celebrate with plant-based baskets and sweets.

Protect individual lives and animal rescue organizations by not gifting animals or dying them colors.

Worried about how to keep your pledge this Easter and Passover?

Worry not! We collected some helpful resources for cruelty-free alternatives to use this spring.

Compassionate Meals

Easter and Passover usually revolve around a traditional meal – so it can sometimes be difficult to think of alternatives when you have done the same thing for so long. This year, use Barn Sanctuary’s Kitchen Companion to find easy and delicious recipes, or set your seder plate with these plant-based alternatives from Jewish Veg. You can plan your Easter meal with some of these recipes that range from appetizer to entree.

Egg-Free Alternatives

Instead of dying eggs this Easter, use wooden eggs that you can find online or in craft stores and paint them with your family. You can also use these wooden eggs to hide and hunt for, and they can be repainted next year! Several other egg-free alternatives and activities can be found here – we encourage you to keep the environment in mind when you make your selection by avoiding plastics like fake grass and eggs.

Sweet Treats

Have a sweet-tooth? You do not have to give up the treats this holiday! There are so many delicious chocolate and fruity alternatives for you to choose from without missing any of the flavor in your basket this year.

Gifts

This year, instead of gifting an animal like a bunny or a chick (or dying them colors), swap it for a plush stuffed animal or toy. Another great idea is to save a life, rather than give a life, by sponsoring one of our animal residents.