The history behind 16th December (The Day of Reconciliation): The Day of Reconciliation (Afrikaans: Versoeningsdag) is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 December. The date was chosen because it was significant to both Afrikaner and African cultures. The holiday came into effect in 1994 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity. The day is also the de facto start of the South African summer holiday period being the first of four public holidays to fall in a sixteen-day period at the height of summer. (The other days are 25th December - Christmas Day, 26th December - Family Day (commonly called Boxing Day) and 1st January - New Years Day). For Afrikaners, 16 December was commemorated as the Day of the Vow, also known as Day of the Covenant or Dingaans Day. The Day of the Vow was a religious holiday commemorating the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838, and is still celebrated by some Afrikaners. On the other side of the political spectrum, 16 December is also the anniversary of the 1961 founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the armed wing of the African National Congress.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 07:36:33 +0000
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