Which Countries Celebrate Thanksgiving: Liberia
Wikimedia CommonsLiberia’s coast.
Thanksgiving in Liberia is celebrated on the first Thursday of November each year. It is almost identical to the United States’ version of Thanksgiving — aside from the day it’s celebrated.
Although it might not make immediate sense as to why an African country might celebrate an American-style Thanksgiving, that is because Liberia’s traditions actually stem directly from American customs.
The country of Liberia was founded as a colony of and for freed slaves in 1822. It was established for those free slaves who wanted more freedom and equality than the United States could offer.
Liberia’s capital of Monrovia was named after President James Monroe, who supported the creation of Liberia for freed black slaves. The free slaves that did choose to relocate to Liberia brought a lot of American traditions with them, and one of those traditions was the Thanksgiving holiday.
Of course, Liberians put their own spin on the American traditions. Families get together and eat dinner consisting of chicken, green bean casserole, and mashed cassavas, which are a vegetable similar to potatoes. But Liberians like their food to be spicy, so different seasonings are added to give their dishes a kick.
