What is Heritage Day?
Heritage Day (Usuku Lwamagugu, Usuku lokugubha amasiko) is a South African public holiday celebrated on September 24. On the day, South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions.
It is a day for South Africans to reflect on and appreciate the cultural traditions, languages, and customs that make the nation unique. The day is also an opportunity to promote unity and understanding among the various cultural and ethnic groups that make up South Africa’s multicultural society.
The history of Heritage Day in South Africa
Heritage Day was introduced in 1995. Before this, September 24 was celebrated in the province of KwaZulu-Natal as Shaka Day.
The legendary King Shaka Zulu played an important role in uniting different Zulu clans into one cohesive Zulu nation in KwaZulu-Natal. Each year, thousands of people gather at his grave to pay tribute to him and to honour his memory.
In 1995, the South African government officially recognised it as a day to celebrate and embrace diverse cultures. It is a day when South Africans from all walks of life come together to share their traditions, stories, and, of course, delicious food.
In more recent years, National Heritage Day is referred to as National Braai Day. In 2007, there was a campaign to rename the day to Braai Day, or National Braai Day. This is because it’s a tradition to host a braai, or backyard barbeque, for friends and family. The whole idea was to unite around a fire, wave the flag, and celebrate the heritage of the nation through Heritage Day food.
What to wear on this Day: different tribes’ outfits
Because many cultures exist, there are traditional clothes for every culture. Some people may wear South African flag-adorned attire and others may wear their traditional clothing with pride. When it comes to Heritage Day outfits, these can include African dresses, Xhosa traditional attire, Zulu traditional wear, Venda Traditional dresses, Tsonga traditional dresses, Tswana traditional dresses, and other attire.
Traditional African attire: Many wear traditional clothing representing different ethnic groups. These can include vibrant and colourful garments like the Zulu traditional attire, which consists of colourful beaded skirts or dresses for women, and animal skins or woven blankets for men. The Xhosa traditional attire features intricately patterned dresses and headwraps for women, and shirts and pants adorned with colourful patterns for men.
Ndebele attire: The Ndebele people have a distinct traditional dress characterized by geometric patterns. Women wear colourful beaded necklaces, headdresses, and aprons with intricately painted designs on their bodies, while men typically wear shirts and pants with similar geometric patterns.
Sotho attire: The Sotho people’s traditional attire includes a blanket worn over the shoulder, a headwrap or hat, and beautifully embroidered or beaded traditional dresses for women. Men wear a traditional Basotho hat, a blanket, and clothing adorned with patterns or embroidery.
Cape Malay attire: The Cape Malay community in South Africa showcases their heritage through vibrant and colourful clothing. Women wear brightly coloured headscarves, long dresses, and aprons, while men often wear tailored pants, shirts, and vests with matching hats or fezzes.
Indian-inspired clothing: South Africa has a significant Indian population, and people of Indian heritage often wear traditional Indian clothing on Heritage Day. This can include sarees or lehengas for women and kurta-pajamas or sherwanis for men.
Different cultural food to enjoy on Heritage Day
While some South Africans may braai, others choose to eat other traditional foods. From braaibroodjie, pap and chakalaka, melktert, Malay bobotie, pumpkin fritters, Cape Dutch koeksisters, curried samp and beans, curried mince vetkoek, tripe, tshotlo (a Setswana delicacy served with steamed bread), bunny chow, and biltong, to potjiekos and boerewors, the national foods eaten on the day are endless.
Food options from different tribes to try this coming Heritage Day:
Zulu: The Zulu people have a diverse range of traditional dishes. These include isidudu (pumpkin porridge), amadumbe (a root vegetable similar to taro), inyama yenhloko (steamed cow’s head), and istambu (samp and beans).
Xhosa: The Xhosa people have a rich culinary tradition. Some of their traditional foods include amasi (sour milk), umngqusho (a dish made from corn and sugar beans), and umphokoqo (made from crumbled maize meal).
Sotho: The Sotho people foods include morogo (wild spinach stew), chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish), lebelo (a sour porridge made from sorghum), and dikgobe (a traditional soup made with maize meal and vegetables).
Venda: The Venda people have a unique cuisine characterized by dishes such as mukhuku (pumpkin bread), tshidzimba (sorghum and bean porridge), mabele (sorghum porridge), and Venda sausage (a spiced sausage made from pork or beef).
What does Heritage Day mean to South Africans?
Heritage is something that belongs to the nation – the origins of its people, the food eaten, and the languages spoken.
It’s a chance to think about why you’re proud to be South African, with its national symbols, places, and animals. Heritage Day in South Africa is a day to unite us all under the common theme of being South African.
Heritage Day in schools
Even in schools, children and teachers celebrate the day in different ways. They paint faces and spray hair in the colours of the South African flag, or wear patterns of South African animals or designs that come from other cultures.
The day is about being creative and wearing cultural clothing proudly. It’s also about asking others about their clothing and what it means. Sharing a love for all traditional clothing and Heritage Day outfits is important on Heritage Day.
