Pretoria, 6 September 2022 (TDI): In South Africa, Heritage Month has been celebrated annually in September. It is celebrated to mark our nation’s diverse culture and heritage.
According to the government statement, South Africans should use Heritage Month to foster greater social cohesion, nation-building, and a shared national identity.
The celebration of Heritage Month has also created a conducive environment for all people to embrace and celebrate what was inherited or bequeathed to South Africans.
The South African government has called on South Africans to support the culture of reading and incorporate it into their daily lifestyles.
It is also essential to encourage your children to visit a library and start reading at an early age so that they grow up with a passion for reading as this develops a broader vocabulary and increases general knowledge.
Heritage Month in September and Heritage Day on 24 September in particular is commemorated annually to mark our nation’s diverse culture and heritage. The 2022 theme for Heritage Month is “Celebrating the Legacy of Solomon Linda and South Africa’s Indigenous Music”.#HeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/BrJZ7o40eW
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) September 6, 2022
Moreover, the 2022 theme for Heritage Month is “Celebrating the Legacy of Solomon Linda and South Africa’s Indigenous Music”.
Heritage Day
Heritage Day on 24 September recognizes and celebrates the cultural wealth of South Africa. South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa. Moreover, Various events are also staged throughout the country to commemorate this day.
In South Africa, the term “intangible cultural heritage” is used interchangeably with the term “living heritage”. Moreover, living heritage is the foundation of all communities and an essential source of identity and continuity.
Aspects of living heritage include cultural tradition, oral history, performance, ritual, popular memory, skills, and techniques. Moreover indigenous knowledge system and the holistic approach to nature, society, and social relationships.
Living heritage plays an important role in promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, reconciliation, peace, and economic development. In every community, there are living human treasures who possess a high degree of knowledge, skills, and history pertaining to different aspects of diverse living heritage.
It is therefore important for South Africans to reclaim, restore and preserve these various aspects of living heritage. This will accelerate the use of living heritage and address challenges communities are facing today.
The Department of Arts and Culture developed a draft policy on the South African living heritage. Heritage Day is a public holiday in South Africa.
