The following are public holidays in Liberia. [1]
Date | Name | Remarks |
---|---|---|
January 1 | New Year's Day | |
February 11 | Armed Forces Day | Honors the Armed Forces of Liberia [2] |
Second Wednesday of March | Decoration Day | Day to decorate the graves of ancestors. |
March 15 | J.J. Roberts' Birthday | Birthday of the first president of Liberia. [3] |
Second Friday of April | Fast and Prayer Day | Established by an act of the national legislature in 1883. [4] |
May 14 | National Unification Day | Also called “Integration Day,” the purpose is to improve relations between descendants of American slaves and members of the aboriginal population. Established 1960. [5] |
July 26 | Independence Day | From the American Colonization Society, 1847 |
August 24 | Flag Day | The holiday was first observed in an 1847 convention, when the founding fathers approved the flag's design along with establishing the new republic. [6] It was established as a national holiday in 1915. [7] |
First Thursday of November | Thanksgiving | Established in 1883, this is a day for prayer to thank God for being born in a free country. [8] [9] |
November 29 | William V. S. Tubman's Birthday | Birthday of the longest serving President in Liberia |
December 25 | Christmas |
Date | Name | Remarks |
---|---|---|
December 1 | Matilda Newport Day | Named a holiday by the Legislature of Liberia in 1916. The holiday was abolished in 1980 following the coup by Samuel Doe, due to its divisive nature. [10] [11] |