Thanksgiving is the holiday that encompasses all others. All of them, from Martin Luther King Day to Arbor Day to Christmas to Valentine's Day, are in one way or another about being thankful.

Safran’s remark reframes Thanksgiving not as a single date on the calendar but as a meta-holiday: a lens through which the motives of other commemorations can be understood. By linking civic observances (Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Arbor Day) with intimate or religious ones (Valentine’s Day, Christmas), he suggests that remembrance, care for the world, love, and generosity are all expressions of gratitude—either for people, ideals, or gifts received. The claim also gently critiques holiday consumerism by proposing a unifying ethical core: thankfulness as a practice that can underwrite public justice and private affection alike. Thanksgiving becomes less about ritual foods and more about an attitude meant to permeate the year.