Happy Heritage Day from Crystal Forum!

Chances are that if you do not actually attend a braai of some sort on the 24th of September, you have probably been invited to one or know of one being hosted either privately or as a public event! The reason this is fairly safe to say is that Heritage day, the public holiday celebrated on that day, has become almost synonymous with the braai and it is even quite widely known now as National Braai Day.

The holiday was historically celebrated as Shaka Day, particularly in KwaZulu Natal, in commemoration of the legendary Zulu King Shaka who was instrumental in uniting many separate Zulu factions into one cohesive nation. It was originally almost omitted from the list of Public Holidays in our 1995 constitution, but was ultimately included as an opportunity for South Africans to celebrate their heritage as one nation.

In much the same way then as King Shaka  brought together the disparate Zulu clans of the time into one cohesive nation, Heritage Day encourages South Africans to  come together to celebrate the wealth of cultural heritage and diversity that makes us South African.

As former South African President Nelson Mandela put it in his own Heritage Day speech “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation”.

Over time, and in recognition of the South African culinary tradition of the braai and to extend the reach of Heritage Day to yet more South Africans, media campaigns have successfully managed to almost re-brand the holiday as National Braai Day, and with the support of stalwarts such as “The Arch” himself, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have been extremely successful in this. In more recent years the National Braai Day initiative was changed to Braai4Heritage, and has since been endorsed by South Africa’s National Heritage Council.

So, whether you toss a few chops or steaks onto a ‘skottel’ or sip on a cold, crisp, glass of Chardonnay at the Country Club whilst your designer spit barbeque is prepared to your exacting taste, you will be in the collective company of a good many South Africans celebrating our culinary and social heritage with a braai on Heritage Day!

If you’re at a loose end of course, and feel like celebrating your heritage of good taste and style on the holiday, why not pop into Simply Manas Gift Emporium and see what’s on offer in the stunning crystal collections supplied by Crystal Forum. Choose from the CRYSTALP range of exquisitely-crafted Crystal Jewellery and Crystal Accessories for yourself, or if you’re looking for something unique for your home or office, the IMPLEXIONS selection of stunning décor pieces is sure to turn your eye. Both collections incorporate beautiful SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS items and components of crystal stones, crystal beads, crystal pearls and much more!

Simply Manas Gift Emporium – Shop L336, Lower Level, Protea Court, Sandton City.

You can also call Simply Manas on +27 11 784 0270 or visit the website at simplymanas.com website.

Please contact Crystal Forum for more information on this article or if you would like to know more about Crystal Forum and it’s specialized ranges of Crystal Products.