South Africans – which non-religious public holidays mean the most to you and why?
I actually have two Public Holidays that mean most to me. 1. FREEDOM DAY: It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first democratic post-apartheid elections. Held in 1994, they saw Nelson Mandela elected as President. (27/04) 2. HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: This holiday is an aim to respect human rights, promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights, and to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in SA.
I’m not sure if Sharpeville Day on March 21st is a public holiday, but it is a day I think should be remembered. The massacre at Sharpeville is of great significance in the struggle against Apartheid, don’t you think? The world stood up and took notice. Sad that people had to die for the world to realize what was going on in SA at the time. When one is so far away from SA, you tend to forget all these holidays. I even forgot about Mother’s Day and some of my family’s birthdays. But Sharpeville Day is one day I won’t forget, because it was remembered by so many people when I was at school. And my friends back then were really emotional about it.
