Pretoria - Some South Africans will be firing up their braai grills today to celebrate National Heritage Day.
According to a non profit organisation, Braai4Heritage, Heritage Day is about much more than just meat-and-meets, it is an acknowledgement and appreciation of South Africans' differences.
"We aim to create social cohesion by encouraging all South Africans to actively celebrate their common heritage by having a braai, on Heritage Day each year.
"The braai stands out as one of our unique cultural heritage gems as it is a deep-rooted tradition in South Africa that cuts across all demographic groups," explains Braai4Heritage, the organization behind the idea.
The initiative aims to create social cohesion by encouraging all South Africans to actively celebrate the country's national heritage annually, simply by having a braai.
Cooking food on an open fire is an international phenomenon, but to braai is a truly unique South African past time that penetrates racial, cultural, religious and social boundaries.
"The braai is to become a contemporary means of celebrating and a symbol of celebration and our South African uniqueness."
This year the initiative has an official song, Our Heritage, recorded by the Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, hip-hop maestro HHP, and electro-rock pioneers Die Heuwels Fantasties, among others.
The song will be available for national airplay and can be downloaded free from www.braai4heritage.co.za