To my knowledge, “Duck Tuesday” does not exist outside my own skull, but I’d like to propose it as a new addition to the “get ready for Christmas” calendar. In recent years we’ve become accustomed to “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,” days when either in-person or online shopping is supposed to be at its peak.

I propose that we add “Duck Tuesday” — not as a day when you need to keep your head low, but as a day to support impoverished folks around the world who could benefit greatly from owning a flock of ducks, a milking goat, or even a water buffalo.

Now, you might not personally know any poor people in Third World countries, or have any idea how to get a pregnant pig or a flock of geese to them even if you did. That’s where organizations like Heifer International come in. It’s an international charity with people on the ground who know where the greatest needs are, and have the connections needed to purchase and deliver a brace of rabbits or a cow or even a llama to someone who could benefit most from it (you can see a nice video here).

Over the past few years, as my wife and I have sought to bring some sanity to our own participation in the Christmas gift-giving frenzy, I’ve taken to giving her some sort of livestock as one of her Christmas gifts. She doesn’t see the animal, of course: I donate money to Heifer International (which has a nice online “gift catalog,” some family gets a needed animal in her name, and she gets a certificate. Last year, it was for a flock of ducks.

There may be other reputable organizations that do similar projects. If readers know of similar groups, and can vouch that they are legitimate, perhaps they can post comments and point to them.

For Baptists, Christmas is traditionally a time when we encourage people to give to missions. These days, my family supports the Global Missions Offering of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, in part because CBF’s mission philosophy is a wholistic approach that seeks to make life better for people in this world in addition to telling them about the next.

CBF has a gift catalog that takes a similar approach to Heifer International, allowing donors to support specific ministries by contributing funds needed to purchase medicine, supplies, or even a sheep for needy families.

So, as you think about a gifts for people who already have more than they need, I hope you’ll seriously consider giving them the joy of knowing you’ve blessed a poor family with a sack of potatoes or a goat or some chickens in their honor.

Do it today, and you can get a jump on Duck Tuesday.

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