6 Ways to Celebrate Heritage Day
Heritage Day (24 September) is one of South Africa’s most celebrated public holidays and acknowledges every culture within our Rainbow Nation while celebrating what unifies South Africa as a nation.
With only one week left until Heritage Day, there isn’t much time left to decide how you will be celebrating this special South African calendar day. But – fear not – we have put together some great celebratory ideas that mostly involve staying safe and cosy at home to enjoy a relaxing and peaceful Heritage Day at home.
Here are six ways you can celebrate Heritage Day.
1. Enjoy a South African Meal
It is no big secret that South Africans are big food lovers and what better way to unite and experience unique cultures than through the shared love of food.
Open up your recipe book this Heritage Day and make your favourite traditional South African meal or, if you are feeling adventurous, head to Google and find some heritage meals unique to other South African cultures.
And, while you are at it, be sure to make a dessert to go along with your heritage meal.
Did you know that peppermint tart is a dessert unique to South Africa? That is why we recommend this oh so tasty Eclairs with Peppermint Crisp Tart Filling recipe to our followers.
It is sure to become a fast Heritage Day tradition!
Photo Credit: Yolande Govender
2. Enjoy the Natural South African Landscape
We did say that our ideas involve mostly staying at home!
Depending on where you live in our beautiful country, there are dozens and dozens of beautiful heritage sites, parks, hiking trails, rivers and mountainsides that you can visit with the family.
Pack in your hiking shoes, grab your bicycle and your camera and visit someplace special in our beautiful country. Be sure to tag us in some photos or to share the photos in the comments on Facebook to share the beauty of our beautiful country with our followers.
3. Learn More about Other Cultures
If you prefer spending your Heritage Day at home snug underneath a blanket then why not use this time to learn more about the other cultures in South Africa?
There are thousands of websites, articles and videos on Google, YouTube and the likes that offer access to free information. The first step to becoming more unified as a nation is to learn what makes each culture more unique.
Maybe you can even learn a few phrases in a new language!
4. A Good Old Fashioned Braai
And, if all else fails, you can always enjoy your day at home by the braai. After all, Heritage Day is also National Braai Day so we encourage you to join in on the braai fun. Be sure to tag us in your braai photos to share the delicious recipes!
Oh, and just as a side note, Kerrygold butter tastes phenomenal on mielies – especially when they are fresh and hot off the braai. Trust us – you will be braaing mielies every chance you get.
We also have an array of braai-friendly recipes on our website. Be sure to browse our recipe catalogue to find something that you will enjoy.
5. Make your Own Biltong
There is nothing more South African than biltong – whether you enjoy dry biltong, droëwors or fatty biltong there is no denying that biltong is something that every South African enjoys.
So, if you are spending your Heritage Day at home, why not try to learn how to make your own biltong?
This video by Xman & Co shows you a step-by-step guide on how to make your own biltong at home AND how long the biltong should be in the biltong dryer to achieve the optimal level of wetness or dryness.
Be sure to share the results with us!
6. Visit a Game Park
If South Africa is known for one thing other than our biltong it is the unique and beautiful fauna and flora in our country. For this reason, there are many game parks and nature parks that you can visit for bird watching or animal spotting.
Take the family out on a drive to a game park and mark off the animals as you spot them.
What better way to celebrate our heritage than by appreciating the beauty of the animals in our beloved country?
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How will you be celebrating Heritage Day this year? Be sure to share your ideas, photos and thoughts on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.
