ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day
New Zealand and Australia had been existing under the British rule for a long time. Although they gained independence at the break of the 20th century, the citizens of both countries needed a confirmation of their national pride. That is why World War I event on April 25, 1915, has been carved into the memories of Australians and New Zealanders; the battle at Gallipoli was the first such devastating a fight for the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) ranks.
Since this conflict between the Entente and the Ottoman Empire, there had been many other battles that ANZAC took part in. Further into the 1900s, the commemoration done during ANZAC Day would be concerning all deceased soldiers and living veterans who served for their respective countries. It was the battle on April 25, however, that constituted the military identity of both New Zealand and Australia.
The actual fight for Gallipoli lasted for eight months; what is more, the ANZAC block lost in the end. The news of the battle had spread quickly in New Zealand, and already on April 30, 1915, the citizens were granted a half-holiday. The first mention of “Anzac Day” appeared in South Australia, which replaced its Eight Hour Day on October 13, 1915 with this spontaneous one-time observance. On April 25, 1916, parades and memorial services inside and outside the country marked the very first full commemoration of ANZAC Day, including an important march in London, which featured many Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Due to the endeavors of Returned Services’ Association, the date became a national day of commemoration in the 1920s. In 1927, all Australian states and territories recognized and embraced the holiday.
Traditions and customs connected to ANZAC Day firmly developed before the mid-1930s. A decade later, both countries adopted new policies regarding the holiday; it was now designated to commemorate all of nations’ soldiers, not only the World War I dead. When international wars started to be televised and more and more people became aware of the pointlessness of human aggression, the esteem of ANZAC Day decreased. After the Vietnam war years (1960s and 1970s) passed, however, the importance of memorials has been increasing. Nowadays, the holiday’s observance may vary by region in both New Zealand and Australia, but the symbolic date is always April 25.
There are a few characteristic traditions connected to ANZAC Day. The most famous is the dawn service, first held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. This custom originates from the army rule that on the day of the battle the soldiers ought to wake up at the break of dawn. By participating in small-scale ceremonies in the early morning, ANZAC veterans honor their friends who died at war. Another tradition is the gunfire breakfast, which is a meal that must include coffee with rum, because that is how the army had it. Another food-related feature is the Anzac biscuit, which is an oatmeal crunchy sweet that the soldiers received from their families via post. The holiday is a solemn, sentimental journey to the past, mostly brought by the veterans marching through the streets of the largest cities in Australia and New Zealand. One of the symbols of the holiday is a paper poppy, which mirrors the British tradition of decorating the graves with red poppies on a national commemoration day. Australian memorials are often complemented by a reading of Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem “For the Fallen”.
ANZAC Day is a public holiday in both Australia and New Zealand. In the former country, this means that most vital institutions and private businesses are closed. In the latter, due to protests against banning commerce, the Anzac Day Act states that shops and some other private businesses can be open in the after 1 p.m. Either way, this holiday is the major commemoration of war sacrifice on the continent. Not only is it the most somber day during the year, it is also significant, because it merges the two neighboring countries in mutual grief and memory.