Every day on the 16th of December Afrikaners all over the world commemorate the Battle of Blood River and the Vow that the Afrikaners (at the time known as the Voortrekkers) made in 1838. At the Battle of Blood River a group of 470 Voortrekkers were surrounded and attacked by a Zulu force of about 12 000 soldiers. In the run-up to the battle, the Afrikaners made a vow to God that if He were to protect us in the looming battle, that we would commemorate this day in future as a day of thanksgiving like a Sabbath – a tradition held to this very day.