Traditional Heritage day vs Braai day

The significance of Heritage Day is understood in different ways by people living in South Africa.

It is an opportunity to promote their identity and recognise their many cultures and traditions. Some celebrate the day by respecting

tradition and acknowledge cultures, by visiting heritage sites.

Then some celebrate by having a braai with family and friends. Commercialisation of the day is huge debate among the country’s citizens.

In the past, September 24 was deemed Shaka’s Day in honour of the well-known Zulu warrior.

The parliament in 1995 decided to make the day a holiday to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity and heritage.

In 2005,a media campaign also sought to re-brand it as National Braai Day.

In 2007, the name changed to Braai4Heritage and the initiative received the endorsement of South Africa’s National Heritage Council (NHC).

The organiser, Jan Scannel (known as Jan Braai) announced that the aim was not to have one mass braai but small gatherings with friends.

Lowvelder asked readers what Heritage Day meant to them.Chris Ngcana says Heritage Day is about various groups wearing their own distinctive traditional costume, performing their traditional dance, or singing their country’s songs and eating its trademark food.

“Heritage day is not about going out and braaiing meat with friends, it’s a family day. I spent it with my family. My grandma shares

her experiences and teaches us to respect our traditions and how to carry our heritage to the next generation,” said Ngcana.

To some there’s nothing wrong with the name Heritage4Braai Day.

Siyabonga Nkuna views it as public holiday that needs to be celebrated instead of debating how it should be celebrated.

He says he spent his day with friends and family, and had an amazing braai.

It is also vital that the age-old oral tradition of telling our stories is re-energised as a means of teaching our children how to behave.

“The day is about bringing together family and friends and also reflecting on our heritage. There’s no harm in celebrating a public

holiday eating meat and having fun. Boerewors is, after all, one of the foods that originated in our country,” he added.