On Heritage Day, schools, families and towns hold concerts, dances, parades and shared meals. Children often come to school in clothes from their family's culture - bright patterned dresses, beaded necklaces, traditional shirts. Each outfit is a small story about where someone comes from.
Because so much of the day is spent cooking and eating together, many South Africans call it National Braai Day. A 'braai' is the South African word for a barbecue - food cooked outdoors over an open fire. Friends and families gather around the braai, and everyone brings something to share.
The day is about celebrating differences. South Africa has eleven official languages and many cultures that have grown side by side. Heritage Day is a chance to learn about a culture other than your own - to try a new food, hear a song in a new language, or watch a dance you have never seen before.
South Africa's flag is hung up everywhere on Heritage Day - six colours arranged in a Y-shape, which is said to stand for many roads coming together into one path. The flag is one of the most colourful in the world.