Family Day in South Africa

Family Day is a holiday that’s observed in South Africa on the Monday following Easter Sunday every year. Previously known as Easter Monday, this holiday was created by the South African government to give its citizens an extra day off from work to spend with their families.

It basically establishes a three-day weekend that every South African can enjoy and make up for any lost time with their families that they may have missed while they have been working hard all year. It’s also a good day for South Africans to recover from any overindulges of Easter.

The History Of Family Day In South Africa

For years, the day after Easter Sunday had been referred to as Easter Monday in South Africa, as it is in countless other countries. However, that changed in 1995, when the South African government decided to rename the day Family Day. This was done to emphasize the importance of family in the holiday and encourage people to celebrate it with their families.

Facts About South Africa

Let’s go over a few of the facts that we’ve learned about South Africa during our research for Family Day. We’ve listed the most interesting facts below.

  • South Africa is the largest producer of meat in all of Africa.
  • People can swim with colonies of penguins at Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town.
  • South Africa is a major producer of macadamia nuts in the world.
  • South Africa not only has bush, grasslands, and deserts, but also has wetlands, mountains, and subtropical forests.
  • South Africa has 11 official languages.

Observing Family Day In South Africa

This holiday doesn’t have any specific traditions associated with it, other than South Africans spending the day recovering from Easter and hopefully spending more time with their families.

Because it’s a public holiday, government offices, schools, and most businesses are closed on this day. On social media, the hashtag #FamilyDay is often used to spread the word about this holiday on social media.

Where is it celebrated?
South Africa (Public holiday)
When is it?
This year (2023)
April 10 Monday
Next year (2024)
April 1 Monday
Last year (2022)
April 18 Monday