Words Matter

Don’t Replace Thanksgiving with Friendsgiving

It’s a day of thanks, no matter who you’re with

Image created by Jacquelyn Lynn using MockupShots

In recent years, I’ve heard more and more people say they are celebrating Friendsgiving or having a Friendsgiving dinner on the fourth Thursday of November.

I know what they mean, but it’s not what they’re actually saying–or even doing.

Friendsgiving is a made-up word that means nothing.

Friendsgiving has come to mean getting together with friends rather than family to celebrate Thanksgiving. But it should still be Thanksgiving.

Let’s take a look at the words:

Thanks
An expression of gratitude.

Giving
To present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.

Friend
A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Thanksgiving
The expression of gratitude, especially to God.

So would Friendsgiving be to present a person you know and like to someone else?