Thanksgiving Day
Monday, October 12, 2026
The fact that Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday in Liberia certainly has American roots, but in Liberia, the holiday falls on the first rather than the final Thursday of November. In 2026, Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday 5 November. The holiday will be on Thursday 4 November in 2027. The freed black slaves from the US who colonised Liberia began celebrating Thanksgiving in their new home as early as the 1880’s. In Liberia, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the harvest season as well as to attend special church services and give thanks to God for all of His abundant blessings on oneself, one’s family, and the whole nation. When Thanksgiving Day arrives, Liberians flock to churches and other places of worship. Farmers bring some of the fruit from their recent harvest to church and then hold a fresh produce auction at the end of the service. After church, there are family gatherings and celebrations in homes, though they are not as big as those typically held in the US. Thanksgiving in Liberia isn’t “Turkey Day” like in the US. It’s not primarily even “Family Day”. It’s a time to focus on thanking God for all His blessings, and especially for a free country to live in.
History
The fact that Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday in Liberia certainly has American roots, but in Liberia, the holiday falls on the first rather than the final Thursday of November. The freed black slaves from the US who colonised Liberia began celebrating Thanksgiving in their new home as early as the 1880’s
How It's Celebrated
The fact that Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday in Liberia certainly has American roots, but in Liberia, the holiday falls on the first rather than the final Thursday of November. The holiday will be on Thursday 4 November in 2027. In Liberia, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the harvest seaso