Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving hangovers, it's easy to forget about the most important parts of the holiday season. Luckily, Giving Tuesday has arrived to get you back on track.

Celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving every year, Giving Tuesday began in 2012 as a partnership between New York's 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation with one stated goal: Encourage people to do good.

Giving Tuesday can be whatever you want it to be: Donating to a charity, helping out a friend in need, trying to brighten a coworker's day — anything that "builds a more just and generous world."

In the last eight years, the movement has exploded around the world. According to GivingTuesday.org, the event was celebrated in more than 150 countries in 2018, leading to more than $400 million raised for charity by 3.6 million people.

In 2019, Giving Tuesday was spun off into its own organization, and now offers social media toolkits and other resources to nonprofits ahead of the holiday,

If you'd like to participate in Giving Tuesday, click here to find a nonprofit or charity that's holding an event near you.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.