Sabinet | Die herdenking en betekenis van die Gelofte van 16 Desember 1838 (1838 tot 1994)
n South African Journal of Cultural History - Die herdenking en betekenis van die Gelofte van 16 Desember 1838 (1838 tot 1994)
Source : South African Journal of Cultural History, Volume 20, Issue 2, Nov 2006, p. 1 - 21
Keyword(s) : 16 December, 16 Desember, Afrikaner, Battle of Blood River, Covenant, Covenant commemoration, Day of the Covenant, Dingaan&apos;s Day, Dingaan&apos;s Day commemoration, Dingaansdag, Dingaansfees, Gelofte, Geloftedag, Geloftefees, Great Trek, Groot Trek, National celebration, null, Slag van Bloedrivier and Volksfees
The commemoration and significance of the Vow of 16 December 1838 (1838 to 1994)
In December 1838 a Voortrekker commando advanced against the warriors of Zulu King Dingane. The former entered into a covenant with God, requesting His help for the looming warfare. The Battle of Blood River took place on Sunday 16 December 1838, marking the Voortrekkers&apos; desired victory. On the same day, the Covenant was commemorated for the first time on the very battlefield. Thus the oldest Afrikaner national celebration came into being. In 1910 an act was passed by Parliament according to which 16 December would be celebrated as a national holiday known as Dingaan&apos;s Day throughout the Union of South Africa, as of 1911. In 1952 the name of the day was changed to Day of the Covenant. After 1994, in post-apartheid South Africa, it has still remained a public holiday, even though it henceforth became known as Day of Reconciliation. The commemoration of the Covenant of 1838 has had an inestimable influence on Afrikaner and South African cultural history. It has played an important religious, national, social and educational role in everyday life, stimulating and shaping the Afrikaner&apos;s creativity, historical consciousness, ethics and intercultural relations. A study of South Africans&apos; diverse attitudes towards the commemoration of the Covenant may contribute towards mutual understanding and reconciliation.
In Desember 1838 het &apos;n kommando Trekkers teen die Zulukoning, Dingane, se krygers opgetrek en met &apos;n gelofte God se hulp vir die komende stryd gevra. Die Slag van Bloedrivier het op Sondag 16 Desember 1838 plaasgevind en daartydens het die Trekkers die gewenste oorwinning oor die Zulu&apos;s behaal. Die eerste nakoming van die Gelofte het dieselfde dag nog op die slagveld geskied. So het die oudste Afrikanervolksfees ontstaan wat voortaan op 16 Desember gevier sou word. In 1910 is &apos;n wetsontwerp aanvaar waarvolgens 16 Desember van 1911 af as &apos;n nasionale vakansiedag, bekend as Dingaansdag, in die Unie van Suid-Afrika herdenk sou word. In 1952 is die naam na Geloftedag verander. In die post-apartheid bestel na 1994 het die dag steeds &apos;n openbare vakansiedag gebly, hoewel die naam daarvan na Versoeningsdag verander is. Die byeenkomste ter nakoming van die Gelofte van 1838 het &apos;n onuitwisbare invloed op die Afrikaner- en Suid- Afrikaanse kultuurgeskiedenis gehad. Dit het &apos;n belangrike godsdienstige, nasionale, sosiale en opvoedkundige rol in die volkslewe gespeel en die Afrikaner se kreatiwiteit, historiese bewussyn, norme en interkulturele verhoudings gestimuleer en gevorm. &apos;n Studie van Suid- Afrikaners se uiteenlopende benaderings tot die herdenking van die 1838-gelofte kan tot wedersydse begrip en versoening bydra.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC30676