11 Where Do the Most Vegetarians Live?
Some people choose to be vegetarian,but others are vegetarian
because of their religion, their culture, or the place they live. There are vegetarians all over the world, but the country with the most vegetarians is India.
About one billion people live in India, and most follow the Hindu religion. Hindus think it is wrong to kill or make animals suffer.They think if they do, they will suffer the same way one day. Hindus believe the cow is sacred; therefore, most Hindus do not eat beef. In fact, the Hindu word for cow, aghnaya, means “not to be killed.”
There are different kinds of vegetarians in the world. Some vegetarians do not eat beef or red meat, but they eat chicken and fish.Some do not eat red meat,chicken,or fish but they eat cheese, butter, eggs, milk, and other animal products. Other vegetarians do not use anything that comes from an animal. Some don't wear wool because it harms the sheep,don't use silk because it hurts silkworms, and don't eat honey because they do not want to hurt bees. Other vegetarians only eat vegetables; however they do not kill plants. For example, they will not eat carrots or potatoes because when you pick them, the plant dies. They will eat apples or pears because picking them does not harm the plant. Some vegetarians do not kill or hurt any animal—not even a fly or a mosquito!
In India, too, there are different kinds of vegetarians. Some Hindus are strict vegetarians. Other Hindus eat all meat except for beef, but they only eat it about once a week. Many families eat chicken or lamb a few times a year at special occasions, like weddings. The Hindus of the upper classes do not eat meat or drink alcohol.However,the lower classes eat all meats except for beef.The upper classes, or Brahmans, cannot kill anything that is moving. If they do, they believe they will become that animal in their next lives and will be killed, too.
Hindus follow other rules when they eat. They rinse their mouths, arms, and legs before and after eating to clean themselves. It is a custom for the man of the house to eat thirty-two mouthfuls at each meal, chewing carefully and thinking about pleasant things. Strict Hindus do not eat garlic or onions. They believe that foods have characteristics. Some foods are “hot, ” others are“cold.” They think the strong smells of these foods are too powerful for the mild tastes and smells of other vegetables. Also, in middle-class families, many women do not eat meat, but men do. Women think eating meat is something masculine.They also connect meat with violence.
Hindus also think it is lucky to eat with a person who is one hundred years old or a student, but should avoid eating with a bald person, an actor, an athlete, a musician, or a woman with a second husband. Strict Hindus also believe it is not correct for a wife to eat with her husband, but it is good if she eats the rest of his food after he finishes his meal. It is wrong for a Hindu to eat food that has stood overnight, has been cooked twice, or is left over from an earlier meal. Any food that has been touched by a foot, a person's clothing, or a dog cannot be eaten.
Vegetarians are everywhere in both rich and poor countries. In parts of the world such as Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, meat is uncommon, and therefore it is an easy choice to be vegetarian. Surveys show that in both the United States and Britain about 4 percent of the population is vegetarian. And more and more people are choosing vegetarianism every day. Many people become vegetarian for health reasons. They look and feel better when they stop eating meat. Some famous vegetarians include Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Leo Tolstoy, Brad Pitt, Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney, Penelope Cruz, and Madonna.