Wake Us Up When Veganuary Ends

Three weeks into 2022, the 'New Year, New Me' spiel has already gotten old for most folks. Still, in an attempt to keep us on the wagon, charities have been linguistically hijacking the calendar with various 'punths' and 'port-month-eus'. So, January has been rechristened as 'Veganuary' by a British organisation to encourage veganism, and 'Dry January' as part of global public health campaigns urging people to abstain from alcohol. Both campaigns have seen millions of sign-ups, and brands are piggybacking on their popularity by launching vegan menus and alcohol-free tequila, beer and gin lines. Those who still have some willpower to spare can attempt Fizz-Free February by giving up sugary, bubbly drinks, Steptember by taking 10,000 steps each day to raise funds for cerebral palsy, and Stoptober to give up smoking.

For the against-the-tiders, there's always Ginuary, the antithesis to Dry January that encourages gin-appreciation, and Februdairy, the dairy industry's failed pushback against Veganuary, where you can drink a pint of milk as part of a 'viral' challenge. Besides, seeing as how 80% of people will abandon their resolutions soon, it's high time organisations and enterprises capitalise on the lucrativeness of our not-so-grand ambitions with a full-blown Give-Up-Ruary or Lay-On-Your-Couch-All-Day-Pril!