LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — PETA has "beef" with Lebanon's annual New Year's tradition.
The Lebanon Bologna Drop, hosted just as the clock strikes midnight, has been around for the past 27 years. In a letter addressed to Mayor Sherry Capello, PETA pointed out that cows are "gentle, curious, and clever animals" who shouldn't be ground into bologna and used as props.
The animal rights nonprofit offered to supply free vegan bologna for the city of use instead.
“The clock is ticking down on Lebanon’s tone-deaf old habit of dangling slaughtered cow parts from a disco ball,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges the city to ring in 2024 with a tasty alternative that everyone can feel good about—one that will be positive for animals, the planet, and the health of those who eat it.”
Mayor Capello answered the letter, addressing PETA concerns but also recognizing the history of the snack.
"I thank PETA for their concern about the ethical treatment of animals. Most of the people I know share many of these concerns and have no desire to cause unnecessary pain or suffering of any animal," the mayor wrote. "However, with that being said, Lebanon City recognizes that Lebanon bologna was developed by resourceful PA Germans."
"Bologna making is part of our Lebanon heritage and we proudly stand by the tradition of dropping a bologna on New Year's Eve as a way to celebrate our heritage," she continued.
Mayor Capello added that the drop is unique, as the bologna isn't put to waste.
"After the drop, the food product is donated to a shelter and helps feed members of our community in need," she wrote.
The City's Bologna Drop will begin at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31 and will wrap up around midnight. Locals can gather on South Eighth Street, between Chestnut and Cumberland Streets, for a night of entertainment as they await the countdown.
