Liberian Thanksgiving has a long history - it has been observed since the 1880s. Like the American Thanksgiving, it is a day to express gratitude, but the foods on the table are distinctly Liberian: palm butter and rice, jollof, cassava leaf stew, fried plantain, pumpkins, groundnut soup and all kinds of tropical fruits and vegetables.
The day starts with church services where communities gather to sing and give thanks together. Then families return home for the great feast. In many families, the oldest grandparent leads a prayer or blessing before the meal begins, naming the specific things the family is grateful for that year - a good harvest, children who are healthy, a new baby, a child who did well at school.
Liberian Thanksgiving is also a time for community. Neighbours drop in on each other, dishes are shared across fences and garden walls, and people make sure that anyone who might be on their own is invited to join a family table. The spirit of generosity and togetherness is at the heart of the celebration.