MONROVIA – There are two officially legislated religious public holidays in Liberia – Fast and Prayer Day and Thanksgiving Day. Fast and Prayer Day is observed on the Second Friday in April of each year, following an enactment into law by the National Legislature in 1883.
Every First Thursday in November of each year is observed as Thanksgiving Day, following its establishment in 1883. This is a day for prayer that the settlers chose to thank God for being born in a free country. Up to present, these two religious holidays are still being observed with every religious community – whether Christians, Muslim, animists, among others— observing it to give praises to the Almighty God. These two days were not legislated for Christians alone, for Muslims alone or any other group to observe them.
Liberia has a total of 11 public holidays that observed each year where all businesses, schools, and public offices are shut to the public for official businesses, thus dwindling the generation of revenue for government coffers.
Unlike January 1, which is celebrated as New Year’s Day and December 25 which is also celebrated as Christmas Day globally, Liberia has nine public holidays that were declared to be observed or celebrated each year. And so, New Year’s Day and Christmas Day are globally celebrated and Liberia being part of the global village also celebrates these two days with all businesses, schools, and public offices shut down. In the case of Easter holiday, it is also a global Christian holiday, just as Ramadan and Abraham Day are recognized by the Islamic faith globally as official Islamic holidays.
So, the following nine holidays were set aside by the Republic of Liberia to be observed by the people of Liberia. February 11, Armed Forces Day – Honors the Armed Forces of Liberia; Second Wednesday in March — National Decoration Day – To decorate the graves of ancestors and loved ones; March 15 Joseph Jenkins Roberts Birthday – Birthday of the first President of Liberia; Second Friday in April – Fast and Prayer Day – Established by an Act of the Legislature in 1883; May 14 National Unification Day – Also called “Integration Day,” the purpose was to improve relations between descendants of former American slaves and members of the aboriginal population. Established 1960; July 26 Independence Day – From the American Colonization Society, 1847; August 24 National 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 – It was established as a national holiday in 1915; First Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day – Established in 1883, this is a day for prayer to thank God for being born in a free country; and November 29 William V. S. Tubman’s Birthday – Birthday of the longest-serving President in Liberia.
Three other holidays were scrapped from the national calendar following the 1980 military coup of MSG Samuel K. Doe on one hand, as in the case of Matilda Newport Day. December 1 Matilda Newport Day – was 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. Also, April 12 – Redemption Day was scrapped following the civil war and slain President Samuel Birthday celebrated on May 6 prior to the civil war was also scrapped.
In fact, due to the too many holidays in Liberia there have been public calls over the years for some of these holidays to be merged since they serve similar purposes – like Fast and Prayer Day and Thanksgiving Day and even Decoration Day. But those calls have fallen on death ears. The other two holidays that Liberians have called to be struck through with redline or combined are JJ Roberts and WVS Tubman birthdays. People have proposed that we celebrate all presidents so a day should be selected and just be called “Presidents Day.”
Why Now?
Some have said that the lawmakers, who proposed the bill for the two main religions in Liberia, are afraid of the threat made by the firing Chief Imam of Liberia, Imam Ali Krayee.
Imam Krayee, who is known for speaking his mind as he sees it, threatened to lead a “citizens action” for the dissolution of the legislature.
On Sunday, May 18, 2025, the Islamic cleric said, “Many of our compatriots have been wondering why we were largely quiet during the recent crisis at the Legislature; it appears that some of them did not understand us when we spoke in 2018 and again in 2019. We said then that the legislature was the most useless branch of government! When we said it, we were not being uncouth or unpatriotic as some believed. Everybody knows since the second half of the last century what we call the national legislature has largely been a national liability. Why would an impoverished nation spend millions annually on a group of people whose job could be perfectly done by a blind and crippled couple sitting somewhere at the presidency. Give a handicap couple a stamp I mean a rubber stamp with some ink for refilling and they will do perfectly for less than $1,000 per month what we pay legislators to do for millions of dollars. I’m saying from Tubman to this day, the Legislature has been either a rubber stamp body or an obstacle to progressive actions. From being a national liability, that body evolved in recent years into a national embarrassment!”
He then threatened to head an action aimed at the dissolution of the legislature.
