When is National Flag Day?
In 2026, National Flag Day falls on Monday, August 24, 2026. It is classified here as a paid public holiday.
History of National Flag Day
National Flag Day commemorates the Lone Star flag adopted as Liberia moved to independence in 1847. A committee of women led by Susannah Lewis designed and produced it. Eleven stripes represent the Declaration’s signers, and the star represented Liberia as the continent’s then-independent republic. An Act approved October 25, 1915 made August 24 an annual holiday.
The flag’s U.S.-influenced design records the Black American settler origins of the republic. Because that state initially excluded most Indigenous Liberians from equal participation, claims that the symbol always represented everyone need context. Today it is the national ensign, but citizens can honour it while debating whose histories its inherited design makes visible.
National Flag Day is one of the twelve national public holidays in the Liberia National Tourism Authority’s current calendar. Government offices, banks and many businesses close, while essential services and workplace arrangements can differ. A national holiday falling on Sunday is observed the following Monday; the guidance gives no equivalent automatic Monday substitute for Saturday. Presidents may proclaim special additional holidays, so annual notices still matter.
How National Flag Day is observed
National public holiday on Monday, August 24, 2026. Education and parade details are announced annually. Current government notices, employer policies and local schedules in Liberia should be checked for closures, substitute dates and public-service arrangements.
Traditions of National Flag Day
Flying the Lone Star
Proclamations ask residents and institutions to display the flag prominently and handle it respectfully. Local organisations may arrange ceremonies, performances or educational events that explain the occasion and keep its meaning visible.
Student programmes
School drills, parades and lessons may cover Susannah Lewis’s committee, the signers and the design. Food, visits, music or shared activities give the observance an everyday form that can differ between regions and generations.
Debating symbols
Museums, schools and families examine the flag’s settler history and its meaning in a plural nation. Schools, media and cultural institutions may revisit the history behind the date, connecting established traditions with present-day discussion.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Liberia official holiday calendar or legislation. Government, regional, school and employer schedules in Liberia may differ; check the linked official source and current local notices before making time-sensitive plans.
History sources: Liberia National Tourism Authority: national holidays and 2026 dates, Embassy of Ghana in Monrovia: Liberia public holidays, Judiciary of Liberia: Constitution of Liberia, Library of Congress: Liberia, 1820 to 1847, U.S. Office of the Historian: Founding of Liberia, 1847, Liberian Foreign Ministry: Sunday holiday observed Monday, Liberian Foreign Ministry: Flag Day history and symbolism, Liberian Foreign Ministry: 2025 Flag Day programme, UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage lists.
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