Think about what would happen if you lost everything you had. How much of it would you not even want back? How much of it is just crap or has become crap over the years?

What is discardia?

Discardia is a floating holiday created by Dinah Sanders that celebrates using less, and getting rid of the things that don't provide our lives with value -- from relationships to furniture; from habits to old bank statements. It celebrates letting go of what you don't need or don't want anymore. More simply, it celebrates nothing. It is a holiday with absolutely no obligations and no need for stress. On discardia you can simply "decide that you won't buy anything or bring anything into your home and that you will instead just enjoy the fact that you have enough."

Not another holiday!

You'll actually get to enjoy this one. We often complain about too many distractions around us. We often hold on to things in case we might need them or simply because we like them even though they serve no purpose and have no place (or we have no room for it) in our lives. If we think about it though, getting rid of the stuff you don't need makes room for the stuff you do. Getting rid of the things you don't enjoy also gives you more time for the things you enjoy. The fact is that while many things in our lives (including people) are important, still more things only feel important but either aren't important or provide us with a false sense of security.

Tips for celebrating less

Here are some of my tips for discardia. Visit Dinah's site for her great daily tips and archive.

Recycle:

Rather than throwing it away re-purpose the things you don't need. Sites like freecycle.org, and craigslist.org can be great resources for connecting you with people who could use what you don't need.

I bet you $5 you could live without $20:

You could probably live through the week without half the money in your wallet why not donate some. Don't forget clothing drops for those old clothes in your closet. *note: not all clothing drops are for charities

Use large garbage bags:

They fit more.

Unsubscribe:

Too much junk in your inbox? Unsubscribe from some mailing lists. Better yet, get a new email address and send it only to those you need to.

One more for the road:

When you go out on your break don't smoke that second [cigarette]. Feel free to replace [cigarette] with the addiction of your choice.

Stop giving people useless things:

...and encourage people not to give you useless things. I don't need it, and I'm sure you don't either.

Read a good book lately?:

Why not share it. Watched a good DVD lately? Why not pass it on. I think you see where this is going.

Use it:

Maybe you bought some sprinkles for cupcakes last season but didn't use them all. Make some cookies for the neighbors kids and get rid of them.

Unfinished projects?:

Finish them or pass them on.

Get rid of duplicates:

Too much of a good thing can be dangerous, but too much of the same thing is usually just called crap.

Unsure?:

If you're not sure about some things then pack them up and put them in a box; whatever you don't dig up between now and next season or next year you probably didn't need. *note: if you do need it, get it from the box, don't just buy another

Lastly:

For everything you get, try to give.

When is discardia?

Simply put, The exact days vary. It takes place in the time between the Solstices & Equinoxes and their following new moons. Sometimes it's short and sometimes it's long. Okay, maybe that wasn't so simple, but don't fret. Seth Golub has created a calendar script that gives the dates for upcoming discardia holidays.

Additional resources:

Discardia
Getting Rid of Stuff
Upcoming discardia holidays
Affluenza