What does the “Heritage Day” Symbolize?

The official South African government definition of the “heritage” in “Heritage Day” includes all that the people inherit.

This includes:

culture

history

wildlife

monuments

artwork

literature

music

folklore

languages

culinary traditions

and more. 

In 1996, president Nelson Mandela declared that Heritage Day would help South Africans use their “rich and varied cultural heritage“ to “build our new nation.”