Don’t look now but today, a bunch of online stores are having blowout sales that some are even calling ‘Cyber Monday.’ This seems to dilute the recently invented holiday — the Monday after Thanksgiving when consumers supposedly turn to the web for deals after suffering at malls and other shops over the holiday weekend.

Why today? My guess is that it’s all about shipping deadlines. The first ones are set to go off this week. Amazon, Buy.com, TigerDirect.com, etc. still promise Christmas delivery for ground shipping — if you order by Thursday or Friday this week.

Sears.com plastered its site today with ‘Cyber Monday’ images. Over at Ebags.com, which has a nice selection of laptop bags, today is the last day for ground shipping. Plus, shoppers get an extra 20 percent off their purchase. At iRobot.com, the iRobot Roomba 580 semi-autonomous vacuum cleaner is discounted $75, plus free shipping, today only. 

Over at NewEgg.com, there are some interesting Monday-only deals that are good ”while funds last.” A really nice bonus: If you pay with PayPal, you’ll get 15 percent cash back on certain items.

Lenovo.com is having a 48-hour sale, offering computers starting at $299 with the coupon code “USP48HOURSDEC15.”

Lots of deals at non-electronics stores too. At ShoeBuy.com, you can get $10 off $50 today if you use the coupon code “Holiday08.” 

Anyway, today is no ordinary day online — it’s the first of many countdowns I’m sure we’ll be seeing before Christmas. Hopefully, the deals are better than the original Cyber Monday were.   

For a list of shipping deadlines, keep reading:Want to know when the last day is that you can order gifts from various online retailers?  Here’s a glimpse:

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