Abstract

ROSSOUW, Jannie. Orania's annual public holiday and festival celebrating the Afrikaans language. Tydskr. geesteswet. [online]. 2025, vol.65, n.1, pp.484-499. ISSN 2224-7912.  https://doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2025/v65n1a23.

Orania is situated in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, some 160 kilometres south of Kimberley, on the southern bank of the Orange River. A particular characteristic of Orania is the fact that all inhabitants are Afrikaans-speaking. For this reason, Orania can be described as an Afrikaner cultural community. In 2021, Orania had 2 733 inhabitants in 649 households. The average annual population growth rate for the period 2014 to 2021 was 9,9%. By the end of December 2023, Orania had 2 875 inhabitants. This implies that the population growth rate is sustained by people from outside the town who settle there. Various aspects of Orania have already been researched, for instance a review of the development of the town since its establishment by the Department of Water Affairs (currently Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation) in the 1960s and its (re)establishment as an Afrikaner cultural community in 1991. However, one aspect not covered in the literature is Orania's own structure of public holidays, and, in particular, its commemoration of Language Day (Taaldag annually on 14 August. This article addresses that lacuna in extant literature and focuses on Orania's public holidays and on the celebration of Language Day against the background of the centenary celebrations in 2025 of Afrikaans gaining official language status. The following South African public holidays are not observed in Orania: Human Rights Day (March 21), Freedom Day (27 April), Workers' Day (1 May), Youth Day (16 June), National Women's Day (9 August), and Heritage Day (24 September). Instead, Orania commemorates Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Good Friday, as well as its own holidays, namely Majuba (Freedom) Day (27 February), Founders' Day (6 April), Diehard Day (Bittereinderdag, 31 May), Language Day (14 August), Heroes' Day (10 October) and Ascension Day (the date varying according to the date of the Easter weekend in any particular year). For the purposes of this article Language Day, scheduled around 14 August each year, is of particular interest. Festivities normally continue for an entire week and are not limited to 14 August. Appropriately, these festivities are referred to as Language Week (Taalweek in Afrikaans) and may include activities ranging from concerts and singing to exhibitions. The organisers make a special effort to ensure the affordability of the event, for example by allowing free entry to activities for children under the age of 16. A further aim is to make festivities as inclusive as possible, for instance by hosting them in various suburbs of Orania. However, the observance of Language Day as a public holiday as well as associated Afrikaans language festivals in Orania are relatively unknown outside the community and these particular activities and customs celebrating Afrikaans receive scant, if any, coverage in South African media. The choice of celebrating 14 August as Afrikaans Language Day in Orania was inspired by the establishment of the Society of True Afrikaners (Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners) in Paarl on 14 August 1875. Orania associates with the Society'spioneering spirit in the interest of the development of Afrikaans. It would perhaps be more appropriate for Orania to commemorate 27 May as Language Day, since that was the date on which Afrikaans was formally recognised as one of South Africa's official languages: When the Union of South Africa came into being in 1910, English and Dutch were the official languages of the Union, but in 1925 the Official Languages of the Union Act, No. 8 of 1925, declared that the word "Dutch" included Afrikaans. In addition, the provision was deemed to have been in operation from 31 May 1910. Even so, by selecting 14 August as Language Day, Orania deliberately commemorates the pioneering spirit of the founders of the GRA. This contribution serves as a basis for further research into Orania's unique selection of public holidays, as well as the cultural value of such festivities in the context of the prevalent cultural activities in South Africa in general. Furthermore, Orania's unique celebratory days can be compared to other Afrikaans festivals, such as the Little Karoo National Arts Festival (Klein-Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees) in Oudtshoorn, the Toyota US-Woordfees in Stellenbosch or Aardklop in Potchefstroom.

Keywords : Afrikaans; Afrikaner cultural community; annual Language Day celebrations; centenary celebrations; local public holidays; Language Day; official language status; Orania; Orania Arts Council (OKeR); Society of True Afrikaners; 14 August.

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