This is Heritage Month, and on 24 September, we celebrate Heritage Day, also known to as Braai Day.
Cape Town is a melting pot of cultures and the Daily Voice has embarked on a series to see how celebs will be spending Heritage Day, and what it means to them.
For Cape Flats comedian Carl Weber, 47, from Strandfontein, culture, tradition and heritage in the coloured community are closely related to food and the weather.
The funnyman says mense always think he is originally from Bloem, but says the secret to his brand of humour lies in his heritage.
“When you Google me, every publication says I’m born and bred in Bloem, kaantie I’m born in Kaapstad,” Carl reveals dramatically.
“I just left people to believe that for years, but I can square it up today. I was born here, raised there from 12 and at 30 years old moved back home because Cape Town is lekker, man.”
It took Carl close to two decades before he returned to his roots on the Flats.
“I am the Bloem boytjie because I feel most of my childhood was spent there. But when you get to a certain age, people of colour are sent back home,” he jokes.
Carl says one of his favourite things about being a Capetonian is chowing watermelon that has been chilling for hours in the rock pool by the beach.
CULTURE: Carl loves his culture. VIDEO: AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)
“I love the little things coloured mense do for special occasions and holidays.“In Bloemfontein I got used to pap en wors, but in Cape Town, that’s not a favourite among coloureds.”
Carl and his fiancée, Valene Herold, 38, are getting married in March next year, but say they are cutting out the ‘traditional’ wedding celebrations and creating their own memories.
“We aren’t going to the Claremont Gardens for the photos, for one. And I will NOT be getting married on National Coloured Wedding Day16 December, nope,” says Carl.
“We are getting married in a church, then have the reception in Hout Bay, and we will teach our children to do their own thing, too.”
Carl says while ‘coloured wedding traditions’ are dying out, one thing that will stand the test of time is dums, or dominoes for the uninitiated.
“The harder you slam it down on the table, the more effective the game is,” he laughs.
Carl wants to be like his future father-in-law, who’s a ghoen in dums.
“He’s so ‘good’,” says Carl, tongue-in-cheek, “they call him Jep.”