Fur-Free Friday 2023: History, Activities, FAQs, Dates, and Facts About fur farming

Fur-Free Friday 2023: This year’s Fur-Free Friday is observed on November 24, the Friday following Thanksgiving (Black Friday), to protest the cruelty we inflict on fur-bearing animals in the name of fashion and to advocate for animal rights and protection. It is noteworthy that California became the initial state in 2019 to prohibit both the sale and production of new fur products. This law, nevertheless, will not go into effect until 2023. Fur fashions are articles of apparel constructed from furry animal skins. This garment is regarded as a luxury item and is predominantly donned by the affluent and renowned as a sign of social standing. Typically, these garments are constructed from the furs of canines, foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, rabbits, otters, wolves, cats, and dogs.

The History of Free Friday

Fur-Free Friday derives from the fashion industry’s use of fur. Fur was one of the earliest textiles utilized by Homo sapiens. Approximately 170,000 years ago, both nobles and commoners wore fur as an ordinary article of clothing. However, this shifted during the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries. In England, for instance, sumptuary legislation was enacted by the monarchy to dictate which animal furs were acceptable for the various social classes. Feminine and sheepskin furs were associated with the lesser classes, whereas fox and beaver furs were reserved for the middle class and ermine and gray squirrel furs were associated with the aristocracy. However, due to the scarcity of furry animals, the use of fur in apparel was restricted.

The establishment of the fur trade between France, England, and Canada in the sixteenth century supplied European nations with vast quantities of fur. This enabled the utilization of fur, particularly beaver fur, in the production of military apparel and commonplace adornments like muffs, hoods, shawls, and hats. The establishment of fur farms in response to the rising demand for fur apparel in the 1870s solidified the fur trade throughout Europe and North America. Cinematic and musical celebrities bolstered this demand throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Animal rights organizations initiated campaigns against fur farming and to bring attention to the use of animal skins in the fashion industry during the 1980s. Non-violent civil disobedience activities were initiated in the United States in 1985 by Trans Species Unlimited (T.S.U.) and the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (C.A.F.T.). They demonstrated against the fashion industry’s use of fur at Macy’s locations in New York and California. The subsequent year, on the Friday following Thanksgiving, George Cave and Cres Vellucci of T.S.U. engaged in the identical activities. This resulted in the establishment of Fur-Free Friday.

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Fur-Free Friday 2023 FAQs

What does it mean to be fur-free?

A fur-free product is one that does not contain, utilize, sell, or promote any items produced from natural animal fur.

Which fashion labels do not use fur?

Stella McCartney, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Nieman Marcus Group, and Tommy Hilfiger are among the leading fur-free fashion houses.

Where will the Fur Free Friday protest take place?

Annual demonstrations for Fur Free Friday occur in New York and California. For this year’s location information, please visit the L.C.A. or W.F.F.F. websites.

Fur-Free Friday 2023 Activities

Participate in the fur-free movement

Elect to forego furry attire today. Cease all natural fur apparel and all patronage of fashion brands that continue to utilize animal fur. You may also advocate for the passage of a fur-free ordinance by your local city council as a fur-free activist. A further method to contribute to the movement is to bring attention to the inhumane treatment of animals on fur farms and animal rights.

Participate in the demonstration for fur-free Friday

An annual protest known as “Fur-Free Friday” takes place in designated areas throughout the United States and internationally. Please consult the official websites of World Fur Free Friday (W.F.F.F.) and Last Chance for Animals (L.C.A.) to determine the locations of the demonstrations this year. If nothing is occurring in your area, organize a rally with the help of acquaintances and people who share your interests.

Contribute to organizations for animal rights

If you are unable to participate in a fur-free movement directly, you can make a monetary contribution to organizations that advocate for this cause. Numerous organizations advocate for animal rights and legislation prohibiting fur in the fashion industry and fur production in the United States. Humane Society, Last Chance for Animals (L.C.A.), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Direct Action Everywhere are a few examples. By visiting the websites of these organizations, you can make a monetary contribution.

Five facts regarding fur farming that will stun you

Head-to-tail electrocution is employed.

In order to minimize fur injury, fur-bearing animals are subjected to anal and genital electrocution during slaughter.

It is not subject to regulation in the United States.

There is no nationwide law safeguarding animals on fur farms in the United States.

It significantly contributes to global warming.

Toxic chemicals and waste byproducts of fur cultivation are discharged into the atmosphere and adjacent streams and rivers.

It produces the most fur and skin in the globe.

Approximately 85 percent of the fur and skin utilized in the apparel and fashion industries originates from animals confined in fur farms.

Fur is prohibited in the majority of European nations.

Over fifteen European nations, including the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Norway, have passed legislation prohibiting fur or phasing out fur production.