MNN - Mother Nature Network

Move over, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There's a new holiday moving in this year. It's called Giving Tuesday, and it's all about canning the consumerism and looking for ways to help and give back to others this holiday season.

 

Giving Tuesday — also known as #GivingTuesday in the Twittersphere — began as a simple idea. We have a day for giving thanks. We have two days for getting "deals" ... wouldn't it be great to have a day for giving back?

 

New York's 92nd Street Y became the catalyst and incubator for this idea and before they knew it, the United Nations Foundation, DoSomething.org, and brand giant Unilever joined them in their cause and #GivingTuesday was officially launched. At this writing, #GivingTuesday has 2,106 partners listed on the event's website, including corporations, nonprofits, schools and religious groups.

 

So just what is Giving Tuesday? And what do you need to do to participate?

 

According to its website, Giving Tuesday is "a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations."

 

You can get involved by searching for a sponsored Giving Tuesday event in your area, searching the site for organizations looking for help or simply volunteer in your local community by donating your time, money or gently used and no-longer-needed clothes or gadgets to a family in need.

 

What a great way to break the cycle of consumerism and spend a little time thinking about what this holiday season is really about: caring for others in our community.

 

How will you celebrate Giving Tuesday?