September in South Africa is Heritage Month, with National Heritage Day celebrated on the 24th of September. The day is also known as ‘Shaka Day’ or ‘Shaka’s Day’, wherein it commemorates the legendary King Shaka Zulu. He played an important role in uniting different Zulu clans into one cohesive Zulu nation in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Every year, thousands of people gather at King Shaka’s grave to pay tribute to him and honour his memory.
Heritage day in South Africa
Declared a public holiday in 1996, it is a day celebrating the cultural diversity of the country. In its essence, the day embraces the true meaning of why South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation. With 11 official languages and lots of different ways of life across the country, this is a good time to learn from each other. By honouring the various cultures and embracing one another’s differences.
Celebrating Heritage Day
For South Africans, heritage day is commonly known as Braai day. Because September also marks the beginning of spring, South Africans take the opportunity to socialise with friends and family with a lekker braai. With chops, chicken, boerewors and all the sides. Here at The Early Education Centre, we celebrated the history of Heritage Day in the morning ring. On Friday each student was excited to dress up showcasing their cultures while enjoying a delicious and proudly South African meal of worsrolletjies, potato salad and stewed vegetables.
Get in touch with The Early Education Centre and learn more about their services, as well as our various community programmes.