South African Private School Holidays
South African private schools follow the same holiday schedule as public schools and share the same key holidays in which the children are dismissed from school. These holidays commemorate various cultural events unique to South Africa and its history. Some universal holidays such as New Years, Good Friday and Christmas are honored as well.
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January though April
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Spring term in South Africa starts with New Year's Day in which all private and public schools are dismissed. The next holiday does not occur until Human Rights Day on March 21 when the country celebrates the constitution of South Africa and its unique Bill of Rights. It is the anniversary of the Sharpeville protests in which demonstrators were killed by police. Schools are also closed on the Friday before Easter as the Christian holiday Good Friday. This works into a four-day weekend with Family Day, which is the Monday after Easter Sunday. This unique holiday allows for students to travel without having to rush back to school and enjoy their Easter gifts. April 27 is Freedom Day, the anniversary of the first free elections held in South Africa.
May, June and July
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The first of May is a holiday for Workers, celebrated on the date of Western Culture's traditional May Day, a day of festivities to welcome spring. School holidays begin in June and continue for the first three weeks into July. Public holidays during this time are Youth Day, which comes on June 16. Private colleges may close for this day.
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August, September October
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August 9 is Women's Day in observation of the day in 1956 that 20,000 women marched to protest a law requiring all black African women to carry passes. Women's Day is celebrated to highlight the contribution of women to South African work and culture and to educate the population at large about the discrimination and difficulties faced by women in South African society. September 24 is Heritage Day in South Africa. This is a celebration of the many diverse cultures, such as Dutch, English, Zulu and other native people including the Fulani, Dogon and Ibos.
November and December
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There are no major school holidays in November. December 16 is the Day of Reconciliation that was established by Dutch fighters known as the Voortrekkers. When the Voortrekkers -- formed to protect Dutch settlers -- fought a major battle with the Zulu over their inhabited lands, the men made a vow that if they were successful, their children would set aside this day for prayer and remembrance. Next comes the traditional holiday of Christmas, settled by both English and Dutch settlers and their descendants. In keeping with English traditions, the day after Christmas is also a holiday, much in the same fashion as Boxing Day where families can rest, relax or use the day to travel back home after visiting relatives for the Christmas Holiday.
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