Every day is childrens day!

Today is another Holiday in South-Africa. It is Human Rights Day. A day only celebrated after the apartheid-era (of course, ha). They choose March 21, because on that date in 1960 there was a big demonstration against the stupid Pass Laws, under which black people couldn't move around without having a document that stated that they were working in a certain region. The demonstration ended in a bloodbath. 67 people were killed. The event became known as Sharpeville, named after the place where the demonstration was held.

SA has a bit too much Holidays if you ask me. There are twelve. Although this year there was one more, because voting day (march 1) was declared a Holiday as well. Of course that pissed most of the businesses of, because no work means no money. But the government thinks that there are people out there who need a whole day to cast their vote.

The list is:

New Year's Day [1 January] Human Rights Day [21 March] Good Friday Family Day (Easter Monday) Freedom Day [27 April] Worker's Day [1 May] Youth Day [16 June] National Women's Day [9 August] Heritage Day [24 September] Day of Reconciliation [16 December] Christmas [25 December] Day of Goodwill [26 December]

The Day of Reconcilliation was also celebrated during apartheid, but then it was called Gelofte Dag. On this day the Afrikaners remembered the victory of 150 boers over 2000 Zulus at a place now called Bloodriver. The battle was a result of land negotiations turned sour when the Zulu's didn't keep their end of the bargain. The Afrikaners thought is was Gods will that they (with the guns) won and the others (with the speers) lost, so they made a Holiday out of it called Gelofte Dag or the Day of the Covenant.
As you can see every family member has his or her own holiday. The women, the children/youth, the worker or provider and the Family as a whole.
I remember Mother's Day back in Holland. Every year I would ask my mother; when is it finally childrens day? Every day!, she would always say, which frustrated me big time. I am happy for the South-African children that they actually have a REAL one, because it means one day less of school.

(pictures courtesy of Herman Warnich)