Happy Heritage Day

Our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our nation – Nelson Mandela.

Today, South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day. Heritage Day is an annual holiday that encourages South Africans to celebrate their roots. South Africa is a proud rainbow nation with 11 official languages and diverse cultures. This day reminds us to not only celebrate the diversity that exists in South Africa, but also individual heritage which is a very important part of our lives.

Although I now live in the States I still appreciate this day as it reminds me to think about who I am and where I come from.  It gives me a chance to archive stories of my roots and to reflect on the diverse cultural heritages that form part of my experiences. For me as a 4th generation Indian South African married to a 2nd generation American of Italian and English descent, heritage is dynamic and is constantly being added on. I am so fortunate to get to experience all the different cultural dynamics and learn from it all.

So, today I celebrate heritage day by embracing the spirit of Ubuntu, by remembering all the people who contributed to who I am today and I celebrate all those who continue to enrich my life with their love, wisdom, humility and compassion.

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people ~Mahatma Gandhi

Would love to read what  Heritage means to you, so please leave a comment. If you are from South Africa let me how you are celebrating this day? Have an awesome week Lovelies. ❤

Photo Credit:  Andrew Swaine

Published by Nikki

23 thoughts on “Happy Heritage Day”

    • Nikki says:

      Wow, that is so cool learning that your parents are from Bangladesh. Bangladeshi and Nigerian such a beautiful mix. Thank you for sharing gorgeous. Enjoy your day ?

  3. Simone says:

    Happy belated Heritage Day Nikki! It’s so nice to know about your roots and culture of your family tree and celebrate the festivities. My mother was born in English Guyana (South America) but moved to Canada when she was a kid. My kids enjoy learning about the Canadian traditions. You look so gorgeous in all those colouful gowns beautiful!

    xx Simone

    Little Glittery Box

    • Nikki says:

      Hi Simone. I love learning about people’s heritage and cultural traditions. I think “New shoes on budget day” in Canada is a pretty interesting tradition 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing ?

  5. Vyom says:

    You look phenomenal Nikki and I am so amazed and glad, you get to witness such a diverse cultural heritage and know about your roots. Being an Indian I am so attached to my roots and although my husband comes from a similar religion we have extremely varied cultures and we throughout enjoy them.

    • Nikki says:

      Hi Vyom, that is so interesting that you say that. I have family members whose spouses come from the same ethic and religious backgrounds as theirs but still have varied traditions. I love learning and hearing about the different family dynamics.

  9. Ting Ma says:

    Diversity and culture dynamics are what make America so great! My husband and I grew up in China and we always share with our boys about our heritage through the daily meal we cook and the language we speak at home. We know someday our boys will be so proud of being a American Chinese . Love how your celebrate your south Africa root with family members and your mom looks so beautiful and young. You look so stunning in these beautiful dresses.

    • Nikki says:

      Thank you Beautiful ? I am so glad to read how you share your heritage with your sons. It is so important to pass on our ancestral stories and culture to future generations so they can understand what came before them and are able to carry on these amazing traditions.

  12. Ivana Split says:

    Happy Heritage Day! Belonging to different cultures can be such an enriching and beautiful experience. I’m sure that living in South Africa as an Indian made you learn a lot about different cultures. It is always good to be proud of our roots and I can understand why you celebrate South Africa’s National Day even if you live in the States now.

    I do love these images, Indian traditional fashion is so beautiful. You look great.

    https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/

  13. Pentene says:

    You look absolutely amazing and radiant love! I love this as I learn more about you and your heritage. I dream of visiting South Africa for my 40th and this just makes me more anxious. As an African American, much of our heritage has been stripped from us and our culture has been strongly influenced by European culture. I hope to continue to learn more about the African heritage so that my son can learn and live by it. Thanks for sharing babe.

    Xx
    http://www.stylemefancy.com

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