"Friendsgiving" is Twaddle, Whatever the Impulse That Drives It

Received various ads urging me to purchase things for "Friendsgiving."
Heard the word a little bit a year ago, maybe even two, but this year, like a rash from the adhesive used in the production of cheap Chinese sneakers that starts innocuously on your feet -- it's spreading!

Bothered me.
Came across this:

The word ‘Friendsgiving’ annoys me in ways I probably need to see a therapist. It’s not that I don’t love a good portmanteau. It’s that:

1. This isn’t one (it doesn’t roll off the tongue like “turducken” or “cronut” or “spork”).

2. It’s been awkwardly co-opted by advertisers

3. It implied that a Thanksgiving celebrated just with friends is somehow not a real Thanksgiving

How do you feel about sharing your Thanksgiving with friends over family?

Hmmm...blame CNN? Happy to.

And I share the writer's annoyance with any implication that a Thanksgiving enjoyed with friends is "lesser," because such celebrations obviously have precedent (wasn't the first Thanksgiving in this country very much about a feast shared with PEOPLE, OH NO, OF DIFFERENT ETHNICITY AND RACIAL BACKGROUND AND EVEN "OH"IER AND "NO"IER, DIFFERENT BELIEFS ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY both Puritans and Native Americans?)

But I don't think that is the basis of the impulse to replace "thanks" with "friends."

I think the real source of this word's creation was embarrassment of those who don't believe in a Creator.

Because you see, it was just about the same time as the birth of the Friendsgiving phenomenon that religious-minded persons began noticing that atheists were just as gluttonous as we, and began snarkily asking, "Who exactly is it that you are thanking?"
I'm not talking about actual, thoughtful atheists, I'm talking about the Bratty Atheist* movement.

Last year, in an effort not to offend potential customers or constituents, some advertisers, and magazines, and politicians seemed to very carefully change phrases that would have been something like, "it's a time to give thanks for family and friends" to "it's a time to give thanks TO family and friends."

And this new holiday name avoids the completely the pitfall of implying their might be a God.

My take on it, anyway.

(You know them - they are like your little brother who moves his fingers around about a half inch from your nose, you're elbow your ear, "I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you...." They want your attention so badly they can't just get on with their own business, they have to keep reminding you that they don't believe in God even though NOBODY CARES, NOBODY ASKED THEM.)