Anzac Day

Kia Ora!

All of New Zealand seriously celebrates Anzac Day on April 25. KC had the day off. While others gathered for speeches, wreath laying, and saluting the flag beginning with services at dawn, we slackers slept in and later hiked in a gorge that borders the north edge of the city. Anzac Day may be compared to both Memorial Day and Veterans Day in the United States. Those who served in the military are honored on this day. Wreaths are laid on monuments in every town of reasonable size.

Anzac is an acronym for Australian New Zealand Army Corps. This holiday is observed in  the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands and Tonga as well as NZ and Australia. The significance of Anzac Day is acknowledged across the globe, including the United States, wherever New Zealand or Australian expatriates are living. In 2013, John Kerry, US Secretary of State expressed the following on behalf of himself and President Barack Obama:

"Today we stand together to honour the memory of the courageous heroes of Gallipoli and pay tribute to all of the proud men and women who have served in the defense forces of Australia and New Zealand."

Gallipoli is the war that spawned Anzac. Countless displays alert one to the importance of this holiday including the public library.

In New Zealand today, one of the most popular cookies (called biscuits here) are called Anzacs. The recipe was developed sans eggs making the biscuits more durable for the long voyage to the troops at the front in Gallipoli. They are delicious and great dunkers.


Anzac biscuits
 

As in the US, poppies are sold and worn. Museum displays recount military campaigns, and the nurses are never forgotten.




Museum in Waimate

While Anzac veterans of Vietnam, Afghanistan and all campaigns in-between are honored, the futile military campaign in Gallipoli during WW I is particularly remembered. Thousands of New Zealand and Australian troops lost their lives in a long campaign that did not achieve its goal to capture Constantinople and the Dardanelles Strait. Two films, both named Gallipoli, document the bloody sacrifices of the Anzac military. The 1981 fictional film by Peter Weir focuses on an Australian unit and a 2005 film made by Turkish film maker, Tolga Ornek, is a documentary. I am familiar with the Weir film; it is excellent. The Ornek film is on my list of movies for Netflix in the future.

Cheers,

Kiwi Traveler