HERITAGE DAY

 Heritage Day is a public holiday that is celebrated on the 24th of September every year. It is a day that celebrates the diverse cultural heritage of South Africa, including its languages, traditions, customs, and history. My favourite part of Heritage Month is people with various cultures wearing their traditional attire and sharing their traditional food. Other activities during this month are different music and dance festivals, food markets, more art and museum visits, and most importantly family and friends getting together and braaiing!

At work, we planned to celebrate Heritage Day and organize a farewell party for one of our colleagues on Friday the 27th. It was a beautiful day with everyone wearing their traditional clothes to work and bringing a signature dish to share with everyone else. I am from the Middle East and was wondering what food item to bring. The traditional rice dishes are difficult to share. I thought about making chicken kebabs and flatbread, or small portions of the rice pudding with saffron and sprinkled with cinnamon.

We ended up going to the Turkish restaurant for lunch on the 24th and I bought some Turkish delights as a backup plan in case everything fails. In the end, I brought Turkish delight on the celebration day. We have a lot of different signature traditional dishes, such as vegetable stews, we have crispy rice, lots of soups, and dessert recipes. My husband is not quite a fan of our traditional food and I hardly cook for him. My mom cooks the different vegetable stew dishes and because the portions are big we end up eating them for a couple of days.

A lot of things are different when I compare my conservative Middle Eastern culture to the more modern and open South African culture. I enjoy the diversity of cultures and languages in South Africa. Everyone is very warm and friendly. I have enjoyed my stay in this country for the past 11 years. I am grateful for all the various opportunities this country has offered me in my late twenties.

Heritage Day is an important part of South Africa’s reconciliation process as it promotes understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of the country’s diverse culture and history.













 

 

 

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