HERITAGE DAY

Heritage Month represents an opportunity for South Africans to celebrate their rich and diverse cultural heritage. September marks national Heritage Month in South Africa. During this month tribute is payed to the crafters, many of whom are found in the rural areas, who have made a significant contribution to the development of our country’s rich heritage. “The day is one of our newly created public holidays and its significance rests in recognising aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and difficult to pin down: creative expression, our historical inheritance, language, the food we eat as well as the land in which we live. “Within a broader social and political context, the day’s events are a powerful agent for promulgating a South African identity, fostering reconciliation and promoting the notion that variety is a national asset as opposed to igniting conflict. “Heritage has defined as “that which we inherit: the sum total of wild life and scenic parks, sites of scientific or historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings, works of art, literature and music, oral traditions and museum collections together with their documentation.” Heritage Month recognises aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and intangible: creative expression such as music and performances, our historical inheritance, language, the food and craft.