[1] Recognising the need for racial harmony, the government chose the date for its significance to both Afrikaner and indigenous South African cultures.

The celebration of the Day of Reconciliation can take the form of remembering past history, recognising veteran's contributions, marching, and other festivities.

The origins of the celebration for Afrikaners goes back to the Day of the Vow, which commemorates the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838.

Nelson Mandela and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission chose a day that was special to both ethno-racial groups in the country in order to work on healing the damage done by apartheid.

[3] On Day of Reconciliation 2013, a statue of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, was unveiled at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

[19] The Day of the Vow was a religious holiday commemorating the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838,[2] and is still celebrated by some Afrikaners.

[19] Much later, when efforts of passive protest and resistance against apartheid had been unsuccessful, the African National Congress (ANC) decided to form a military or armed group.

[1] On that day, Umkhonto we Sizwe enacted its "first acts of sabotage" which included bomb blasts against government buildings in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

[19] Also on 16 December 1961, the Umkhonto we Sizwe distributed leaflets describing how the group "will carry on the struggle for freedom and democracy by new methods, which are necessary to complement the actions of the established national liberation organisations.

"[28] When Apartheid ended, it was decided to keep 16 December as a public holiday, but to infuse it "with the purpose of fostering reconciliation and national unity.