Heritage Day: All the people of the land

Heritage Day is not a uniquely South African day, but our rich cultural diversity is unique to the rest of the world. This special day was first declared a public holiday in 1996 after Parliament omitted it from the proposed Public Holidays Bill. An objection raised by a political party lead to the decision to declare it a public holiday. Today we dedicate the full month of September to celebrating our colourful heritage and every 24^th day of September to commemorate the significance of our history. In a nutshell, Heritage Day embraces the fact that we call South Africa our Rainbow Nation.

 What is the real meaning Heritage Day

Heritage Day observes the life and times of King Shaka Zulu. Shaka Zulu, as you may know, made it his life’s mission to unite the different Zulu clans. His dream was to see Kwa-Zulu Natal achieve unity and become a cohesive Zulu nation. As a result of this dream, every year on 24 September thousands of people visit his grave to honour his legacy and pay tribute to everything he did to unite the people of South Africa. The late former State President Nelson Mandela said, “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.”

 Why celebrate Heritage Day

It’s not just another public holiday – it’s an opportunity to remind ourselves that as a country, we need to be more accepting of our rich diversity. The late former State President Nelson Mandela was quoted as saying, “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.” As a result, Heritage Day and Month gives us the perfect opportunity to explore our country’s different cultures and traditions. We do this by dressing up in our traditional outfits, sharing our traditional meals and even braaiing with family and friends to make it a joyous celebration of what each culture brings to the table.

Respectful and mindful ways to celebrate Heritage Day

• Host a traditional braai for family and friends: Heritage Day is also known as “Braai Day” because it is something common to all South African cultures. With our beautiful weather, it is something us South Africans all do very well!
• Wear your traditional cultural outfits: our traditional outfits offer, without a doubt, a spectacular display of colour and at the same time heritage. Wear yours proudly and tell people which culture you represent.
• Take samples of traditional food to school, work or university: give your friends a taste of your special traditional snacks and meals.
• Talk about your culture and traditions: if we are going to be an inclusive Rainbow Nation we need to talk about out culture and traditions. Let your friends know about your history and your heritage.