Origins of Anzac Day 

The ANZAC tradition began in the first World War, with a landing on 25 April, 1915 near Gallipoli on the Turkish Aegean coast. Because of a navigational error, the Anzac's came ashore about a mile north of the intended landing point. Instead of facing the expected beach and gentle slopes, they found themselves at the bottom of steep cliffs, offering the Turkish defenders an ideal defensive position. Establishing a foothold, the Anzacs found any advance to be near impossible. After eight months of a stalemate, the Allies withdrew, leaving 10,000 dead amongst the Anzac's and 33,000 British soldiers dead. Although the Anzac's were a minority of the half-million Allied men who served at Gallipoli, the troops from the two young nations were often at the frontline and became renowned for their doggedness, despite that the British regarded them with a lack of discipline.  

Start of the Anzac day Memorial 

On April 30 1915, news of the landing reached New Zealand, a half-day holiday was declared and services were held. The following year a public holiday was held on the 5th of April and services to commemorate, were organized by the returning soldiers. From 1916 till now, in both Australia and New Zealand.  ANZAC Day was not recognized as a public holiday in New Zealand until 1921, after lobbying by the RSA. In Australia, at the 1921 state premiers conference, it was decided that ANZAC Day would be observed on the 25th of April each year.

Commemoration Ceremonies

In Australia and New Zealand, ANZAC DAY commemoration features solemn 'dawn services', a tradition started in Albany, Western Australia on the 25th of April, 1923 and now held at war memorials in both countries, accompanied by thoughts of those lost in the war to the ceremonial sounds of the Last Post on the bugle. The fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, known as the Ode of Remembrance is typically recited.

Australia Commemeration

Marches by veterans from all past wars, and current serving members of the Australian Defence Force are held in city capitals cities nationwide. These events are followed generally by social gatherings of veterans, typically held, either in a pub or in an RSL Club, often including a traditional Australian gambling game, called “Two Up”, which was an extremely popular pastime for ANZAC soldiers. On Anzac Day it is legal to play “Two Up”. Although Australia's official national holiday is in fact Australia Day, many Australians have now come to regard ANZAC DAY as the true national holiday of the country. Many argue the “national identity” of Australia was largely forged during the violent conflict of the first World Wa. In recent years ANZAC Day has grown in popularity in Australia, even the threat of a terrorist attack at the Anzac site in 2004 could not deter some 15,000 Australians from making the pilgrimage to Turkey, to commemorate the fallen ANZAC.  In recent years however, some people have felt that the Anzac Day tradition has been turned into a festive celebration of heroism and patriotism, which is seen as incompatible with the sadness of remembering those who were killed in previous wars.

New Zealand Commemeration

New Zealand's Commemoration of ANZAC Day is similar, though on several occasions the day has become an opportunity for some groups to have political protests. In 1967, two members of the left-wing Progressive Youth Movement in Christchurch staged a minor protest at the Anzac ceremony, laying a wreath protesting against the Vietnam War. In 1978 a women's group laid a wreath dedicated to all the women killed and raped during war, and movements for feminism, gay rights, and peace have used the occasion to draw attention to their causes at various times during the 80's. The number of New Zealanders attending ANZAC Day events, like at Gallipoli, are increasing. For young people, the sombre focus of the day, receives less emphesis then the more celebratory aspects of the national holiday. For most, though, the day represents an occasion, which to formally pay tribute and to remember. ANZAC Day now promotes a sense of unity, perhaps more effective than any other holiday on the national calendar. People whose political views, beliefs and aspirations are widely different, and can nevertheless share a genuine sorrow at the loss of so many lives in a war, and a real respect for those who have endured in war on behalf of the country they live in.

Gallipoli Ceremonies