Celebrations and festivals bring people together, forming a bridge across cultures and languages. If you’re planning to attend a festival in South Africa or simply want to impress your Afrikaans-speaking friends, learning some relevant terms can be quite handy. Here are some Afrikaans words and phrases that you might encounter during various celebrations and festivities, along with their definitions and an example sentence for each.

Feestelikheid refers to festivity or celebration in a general sense. It can be used to describe any joyous or festive event.
Die dorp is vol feestelikheid tydens die jaarlikse oesfees.

Viering means a celebration or the act of celebrating something. It is often used in the context of celebrating a specific event or occasion.
Ons het ‘n groot viering vir haar vyftigste verjaarsdag gehou.

Verjaarsdag translates to birthday. This term is used just as it is in English, to commemorate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
Ons gaan volgende week my ouma se verjaarsdag vier.

Oesfees is a harvest festival, an event that celebrates the gathering of the year’s crops.
Die hele gemeenskap kom byeen vir die oesfees.

Kersfees is the Afrikaans term for Christmas, the annual Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Ons hele familie kuier saam op Kersfees.

Nuwejaar is New Year, as in many languages, this refers to the celebration of the start of the new year.
Ons maak groot planne vir Nuwejaar se vieringe.

Pasga denotes Easter. It’s one of the most important Christian festivals, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Pasga is ‘n tyd van hoop en nuwe begin.

Braai is a term specifically South African and refers to a barbecue. It is both a meal and a social event.
Daar is niks beter as ‘n Saterdagmiddag braai met vriende nie.

Karnaval is a festive season that involves public celebrations, including events such as parades and public street parties.
Die Kaapse Klopse is ‘n bekende karnaval in Suid-Afrika.

Dans means dance. This can refer to the act of dancing or a social gathering where dancing takes place.
Na die ete het almal opgestaan om te dans.

Musiek is music, an essential part of most celebrations, and it is present in festivals and parties.
Die musiek het die hele aand deur gespeel.

Vuurwerk translates to fireworks. Common in many celebrations, fireworks are explosive devices used typically for display.
Die vuurwerkvertoning op Nuwejaar was ongelooflik.

By incorporating these Afrikaans vocabulary words into your language repertoire, you can deepen your engagement with Afrikaans-speaking communities during festive times. Enjoy the celebrations and the opportunity to practice your Afrikaans skills!