Heritage day in South Africa

What is heritage in South Africa?

Heritage day is celebrated by embracing our cultures, oral and traditional expressions, languages, performing arts, social practices and rituals, food and other aspects that make us unique.

What is the purpose of Heritage Day in South Africa?

In South Africa, every 24 September, Heritage Day, recognizes and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation. South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa. Various events are staged throughout the country to commemorate this day.

 How did Heritage Day start?

Every year, on 24 September, South Africans would gather at his grave to honor him. In 1995 a request for the day to be confirmed as an official holiday was rejected. After receiving some pushback from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a majority Zulu party, it was decided that the day was needed and would be known as ”Heritage Day.

Who created Heritage Day and why?

In order to remember the values accompanied with heritage Day, while marking Heritage Day in 1996, former President Nelson Mandela stated: “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.”

How is Heritage Day celebrated in families and workplaces?

For families, heritage day is celebrated by going on outings with the family to a public sculpture, museum, or a historic monument to educate their children about heritage.

For Work places or other institutions, they celebrate heritage day by wearing casual attire related to the day being celebrated.

How do you celebrate your family heritage?

On September 24, which is heritage day, there is celebration of cultural wealth in the nation. South Africans celebrate the day by embracing the cultural heritage of different cultures included in South Africa population.

How is Heritage Day celebrated in schools in South Africa?

Majority of schools hold special assemblies and could also request that children come to school in cultural outfits.

What activities do we do on Heritage Day?

There are various things we could do on heritage day, which includes;

• Visiting a museum. (As they depict the histories and heritages of the nation).
• Tour the city
• You could attend the BO-KAAP heritage festival.
• Have a braai.
• Learn to cook traditional foods and many more.