Anzac Day
There are two different articles here - they need to be merged and tightened. - MMGB
First Article
A national holiday on April 25 in Australia and New Zealand celebrating the bravery and remembering the sacrifice of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), who landed at Gallipoli on the Turkish coast in 1915 during World War I, and more generally all those who have fought for the two countries.
The landing was bungled, occurring many miles from the intended landing post (a mistake traditionally blamed on the British officers in high command, though some historians dispute this) and instead occurred at the bottom of steep cliffs offering the Turkish defenders an ideal defensive position. Whilst the troops managed to establish a foothold, advance was impossible and after approximately 10,000 casualties amongst the Anzacs (and comparable Turkish losses) the troops withdrew.
Because of the remoteness of the war, the later realization that the war had little to do with Australian national interests, and the honorable defeat (at least in the popular retelling) of the campaign, Anzac day, whilst patriotic, is not particularly militaristic. In Australia, it features solemn "dawn services" at war memorials around the country, and marches by veterans from all wars (in civilian clothes). Afterwards, more upbeat parties are held, many of which feature Australia's native form of gambling , two-up. It should be noted that the occasion does not provoke any particular anti-Turkish sentiment, though resentment of the brutality of the Japanese during World War II remains with those dwindling numbers of veterans alive to recall it personally.
Anzac day's popularity has waxed and waned over the years. During the 1970's the generational divide over Australia's participation in the Vietnam War and conscription saw the Baby Boomers unenthusiastic about participation. With the fading of such issues and the numbers and political influence of actual war veterans receding the wider public seems to have become more comfortable (and been more welcome) in participating.
Second Article
A day of solemn commemmoration for the ANZACs killed in the assault on Gallipoli and in other battles during the First World War and other military engagements.
ANZAC stands for Australia (and) New Zealand Army Corp.
Dawn services and wreath-layings are held in many parts of the two countries, followed later in the day by an ANZAC parade of military veterans. In Melbourne, the parade moves down St Kilda Road to the Shrine of Remembrance where a further commemmorative service is held. Both the parade and the service are traditionally screened on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) tv network for the benefit of those who are unable to attend.
Anzac Day is traditionally a time of reunion for returned servicemen and women, and at one time a special law was passed to allow them to drink and to play two-up on Anzac Day, even though gambling was an illegal activity, and the hotels were closed to the public on Public Holidays.
'The History of ANZAC Day in New Zealand
Anzac Day became an official public holiday in 1921, replacing 'St George's Day'. The day was dedicated to solemn remembrance of the dead and the honour of those who returned. In World War II, the 'spirit of the Anzacs' was often invoked, and the day became a day of commemmoration for ALL who served their country in the field of battle. Legislation was specifically passed in 1949 to preserve the day, with all hotels, shops etc to remain closed to the public.
In the 1960s there was an increasing movement towards liberalising Anzac Day, and in 1965 the afternoon was liberalised, while the services and marches were moved to the morning hours and more civilians attended the dawn service.
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. They were subsequently convicted of disorderly conduct, but that was far from the last time that the parade was used as a vehicle for protest. In 1978 a woman's group layed a wreath dedicated to all the women killed and raped during war, and at various times during the 1980s feminists, gays, anti-nuclear and peace activists, Maori radicals used the event as a public platform to air their causes. While some of this controversy confused aging returned servicemen, it could also be said to have breathed new life into the day, which became one for debate on War, Defense, and other related human rights issues. Many young people began attending the services and parades during the 1980s, and there was a resurgence of popular interest in Anzac Day.
1990 was the 75th Anniversary of Gallipoli, and government officials from Australia and New Zealand, most of the last surviving Gallipoli veterans, and many Australian and New Zealand tourists travelled to Turkey for a special Dawn service at Gallipoli. A decade later there are very few Anzac veterans still living, but as the day has become much more than a commemmoration of one battle, Anzac Day will always continue to be an important one.
References and further Reading