South Africa is a rich and diverse land, with many cultures making up our beautiful rainbow nation. Heritage Day, commemorated on 24 September each year, is a perfect way to celebrate the wealth of customs and cultures of our people.

Each year, South Africans from all walks of life enjoy the public holiday by dressing up in traditional attire, braaing, celebrating with friends, or simply reflecting on their roots. It is a commemoration of identities and a celebration of our uniqueness and ubuntu.

In 2015, I had quite a unique Heritage Day. I was a journalism student and Eid Al’ Adha (Eid of sacrifice), was celebrated on the same day. A week before, I had asked my classmate, Yolanda Klaas, how he planned to celebrate Heritage Day. He lived in a dormitory and told me he was planning on simply being indoors and preparing noodles to eat.

I felt saddened that my dear friend would be alone and decided to invite him to my family home for Eid. Yolanda then shared with me that he knew nothing about Muslim people other than the negative stories he had read online, which depicted Islam as a religion of violence. I was the first Muslim person he had known.

On the day of Eid, while he was initially a little nervous about engaging with my family, they all quickly made him feel at home and fed him the most delicious curries, sweet treats, and finger foods. My chatty uncle pulled Yolanda into a strange conversation about cricket and the proper care of a fish tank. No conversation was had about religion, and nobody suggested to him that he should become Muslim.

He observed the men praying, listened to the Quranic recitation on the radio station, and something clicked in him. A few weeks later, Yolanda told me he wanted to learn as much about Islam as possible because experiencing how loving, kind, warm, and inviting Muslims were made him fall in love with the religion, and about a year later, he became Muslim.

I chatted to Yolanda to ask about how Heritage Day 2015 changed his life and perspective on Islam:
“I had never felt so welcomed before. From the food to the people, I was in awe. I was initially reluctant to accept the invitation because I thought I would be discriminated against because I am black, but the opposite happened. I know Islam is a religion and not a culture, but I still find it serendipitous that I found my true path in the religion on Heritage Day.”

Educating people about your culture or religion should never involve enforcing specific beliefs on them. If you want a friend to learn more about Xhosa customs, invite them to events, offer them some traditional meals, teach them your language, or show them how to wear traditional attire. You’ll see how receptive people can be when encountering kind, welcoming people. Yolanda and his journey are a clear example of hospitality trumping indoctrination.

Diverse South Africans share Heritage Day plans
I spoke to three South Africans, Leone van Aswagen, Vinolia Malema, and Aphiwe Mtshali, who shared how they will spend Heritage Day.

Vinolia Malema, a Pedi woman, said she felt it was vital to celebrate Heritage Day to ensure that we never forget our roots:
“In my culture, we cook traditional food, such as motepa (soft porridge), dinawa (beans), and mogodu (tripe). I also dress traditionally.”

Leone van Aswagen, who is Afrikaans and a white woman, noted that she loved the day being a family celebration:
“We braai and just have fun as a family. Knowing where you come from is so important.”

Aphiwe Mtshali, a Zulu woman, said she loved spending the day with her friends:
“We cook traditional meals like ujeqe (steamed bread), samp, and more. We also dress up.”

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South Africa is a unique and stunning nation, and although our differences often keep us separated, this shouldn’t be the case. Let’s be more open to learning about one another’s cultures, religions, and traditions in an open, more loving way. Invite a friend for a traditional meal or Eid. You never know how your kindness might impact their hearts. Happy Heritage Day!

Why do you think Heritage Day is important? How will you celebrate this day?

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