Yes folks! It’s almost that time of the year again! National Braai Day is coming on the 24th of September 2012! Time to dust off that braai that’s been hiding in your garage or tool shed all winter – It’s Spring time in South Africa after all!
In case you did not know, National Braai Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the 24th of September (on the Heritage Day public holiday) every year.
No other day would be perfect for this if you ask, Braai-ing is a huge part of South Africa’s Heritage! National Braai Day is all about creating a yearly day of happiness in South Africa. All South Africans are invited to to gather around their braai fires with friends and family on this day!
Almost all racial, language and religious groups in South Africa braai – it’s embedded into almost every South African’s psyche. Some call it ‘Chisa Nyama’, and others call it ‘Braai’ or ‘Ukosa’. The ingredients may differ, but one thing that never changes is that we light our fires and prepare great feasts when we want to celebrate something in South Africa!
Some folks have compared National Braai Day to annual celebrations cherished by other countries in the world, like Thanksgiving is for the Americans, St Patricks Day is for the Irish and Bastille Day is for the French. Spot on if you ask me!
Let’s face it, there’s not many things in this world that is more satisfying than braai-ing your favorite piece of meat on a sizzling hot braai. There simply is no other cooking method that comes close to this.
Imagine that unique sizzling sound, that instant whiff of charred juices, that perfumed smoke rising up to wet your appetite. No oven in world gives off that unique vibe and there’s definitely more to braai-ing than meets the eye!
In case you did not know, the man behind the National Braai Day initiative is Jan Braai (whose real name is Jan Scannell). Jan Braai has been touring around the country recently to warm up for National Braai Day. In the space of nice days he braaied in all nice provinces of South Africa. He called it the National Braai Day Warmup Tour!
This is the National Braai Day Anthem from 2011 performed by Die Heuwels Fantasties and HHP:
All this talk of fire and meat probably has you craving some braaivleis already, give in to this craving on Monday! Light up a fire and have a great braai with friends and family on National Braai Day in 2012! For more information, visit the National Braai Day website!
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