As far as celebrations go, New Year in South Africa is up there as one of the best. The New year in South Africa is based around the Georgian Calendar and the whole event is filled with energy, color and an atmosphere that simply does not disappoint. When it comes to celebrating the coming of the New Year, South Africa really is the place to be.
Festivals and Parties Steal the Show
Seeing in the New Year in South Africa is as much about welcoming in the year as it is about having fun because there are many different festivals and parties that take place. Celebrating the New Year in South Africa is all about creating unforgettable memories and it all begins during the day. In the day, families will spend time together as well as companions and relatives where they prepare for the evening ahead. While partying and festivals are what many look for, there is also a large portion of the population that still like to spend it with their loved ones and so, celebrations can range from small to large but they occur right throughout the country.
In many areas, parties will take place right through the night, where they will eventually come to an end in the early hours of the morning. Of course, the celebration is underpinned by the passing of one year and the beginning of another but many people also choose to celebrate because it gives South African citizens that chance to take some relief from their normal, hectic schedules. Parties can include extravagant dinners where there is music and dancing, where the New Year is welcomed in style. Many of the dishes that are served during the celebrations reflect those dishes of tradition and the festivities that are being enjoyed by all.
Marking the turn of the year
When the clock strikes midnight and a New Year begins, it is common to hear church bells chime to declare the start of New Year. Once the bells have been chimed, the excitement and energy increases and many find that they become lost in the thrill of the moment.
In places such as Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, you will find the largest celebrations, where parties play amazing music, people love to dance, dine and drink and firework displays see in the New Year in style. However, events and festival such as the Rezonance New Years Eve Festival carry their own importance and an atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else.
The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival is organised for New Year’s Eve and is a spectacular event in its own right but not just because of the celebrations it depicts but also the history of South Africa that dates back to the 19th century. Based around the slave culture that once gripped the nation, it actually pays homage to the fact that slaves were given holidays for New Year’s day so that they could celebrate it in their own way. Therefore, this lead to the celebration becoming a modern tradition and that is why the festival is embraced by all.
In Durban, the beautiful beaches are extremely popular during the New Year celebrations and during the period, the beaches are filled their maximum with parties on the beach and in the nightclubs that are located nearby.
In South Africa, New Year’s Eve is a big celebration and one that is embraced by all. Whether that is spent with family or our celebrating on the beaches of Durban, there is no better place to explore the wonders of New Year and the celebrations that come with it than South Africa.
