#GivingTuesday is a “movement” (of course it is!) generally expressed as a hashtag (of course!) – but don’t let that put you off.

Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in New York City, with the United Nations Foundation, as a response to commercialisation and consumerism in the US post-Thanksgiving season.

So, for all those who have overindulged in the weekend’s shopping sales of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is your desperately needed detox.

Celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday is aimed at beginning the Christmas season with a day of giving to others – just before the Christmas gift-buying and celebration-organising frenzy makes monsters of the best of us.

Giving Tuesday has become a great opportunity to stop the focus on all the stuff we got on sale during the past few days, but turn our attention to what we can give to others who have less than we do.

Since its birth in 2012, Giving Tuesday has gone international. You can check out the Australian site here which has loads of local charities and welfare organisations you can support. There are also ideas for how you can share your “giving story” with friends, family and the online world via social platforms.

And for anyone who is still not sure where to give (which would be surprising, because Eternity News is a NFP that accepts donations), there’s no need to be overwhelmed!

You can also take the “CharityMatchmaker” online quiz. In just a few minutes, it will have you matched to the perfect cause!