ANZAC day is the day of commemoration by the Australia and the New Zealand countries. The commemoration usually takes place on the 25th of April every year. This day is mainly set aside in order to remember the troops who sacrificed themselves to fight for their own country. More than 8000 Australian forces and at least 2600 New Zealand troops were killed at Gallipoli, Turkey during the time of the World War 1. Anzac in full means the Australian and the New Zealand Army Corps.
Infact the soldiers from the two countries had been named ANZAC. ANZAC day was mainly set to be on 25th April in order to coincide with the day when the Australian and the New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli on 25th of April 1915.
The troops had formed a gang with those from France, Britain and India in order to take over Gallipoli who were allies for the Germans. The troops were to attack the Ottoman Empires as it was fighting in favor of Germany.
Though the troops fought fiercely, the mission was not achieved because they faced a lot of resistance from the Turkish army and the war went on for 8 months. The troops were then withdrawn after great losses from both sides. Although the objective was not achieved, the Australians salute the courage and the sacrifices made by all those who participated in this mission (Gregory, 1994).
ANZAC day is therefore a typical culture day because so many people across the world comes together to share, teach and learn more things in details about the Australian culture and more so, about the relevance of the day itself.
In the first instance, very many people especially the younger ones get to learn more about the real meaning of the ANZAC day. They will get to know that, this is the day when the Australia and the New Zealand soldiers landed in Gallipoli 93 years ago. Their main aim being to take over Ottoman Empire so as to drive Turkey out of the war. Turkey was at that moment allies of Germany. Though the ANZAC soldiers and their allies (mainly Britain, France and India) fought with a lot of courage, they didn’t really achieve their goals and most of them ended dying. This led to their withdrawal and thus ANZAC day became a memorial day. People will also get to learn that ANZAC day is not only held to commemorate those who perished in Turkey but it is also the day which is used to remember and to salute all those who participated in all military wars in order to defend the country. Therefore it also involves those who participated in the Second World War.
During ANZAC day, commemorative prayers are held mainly at dawn. The service is mainly held at this particular hour so as to enable people to learn that, this was actually the time in which the troops landed at Gallipoli. These services are mainly held in war memorial centers. The service is there after followed by the ‘gunfire breakfast’. The breakfast mainly symbolizes sharing because it involves taking coffee with rum. This was exactly what the soldiers took as their breakfast before going to the battlefield. Since ANZAC day was celebrated yearly, the gunfire breakfast will automatically be passed from one generation to the other as it has become the tradition and the culture of this day. One generation will therefore be learning from the other.
The dawn services mainly teach about special bond and being united. It was therefore restricted to the veterans only. In most cases, the ceremony which was conducted during the day was mainly for the common people and that which was conducted at dawn was dedicated to the veterans. It was mainly dedicated to them in order to enable them remember and think about those to whom they worked together, sleep together and ate together. As it approaches dawn, veterans usually assemble themselves, and then there would be a silence of two minutes. Of late, many youths and also families usually take part in this service hence jamming the city with great numbers. Due to great attendance, the dawn service has been extended to include songs, readings and pipers.
During ANZAC day, people also share their grievances. People from different works of life young and old, the rich and the poor, people whose beliefs and rituals differ greatly, can come together in sharing the sorrows of losing that great magnitude of people during war. At this time, people usually visit the Australian war memorial to place wreath besides the names of those who perished during the war. The wreaths are mainly composed of red poppies while others use rosemary. Dawn services are also held in commemoration of the lost ones besides the marching of veterans who took part in all the wars and also the ones who are currently working in the Australian defense, the cadets, Australian scouts and the air force. All these are held in all the major towns of Australia and are aired live on the Australian T.V. stations.
After the procession is over, there is social gathering of the past ex-soldiers and also those who survived during the past wars. The social gathering is mainly conducted in pubs and clubs and it majorly involve the commemoration of the soldiers by playing a gambling game (two-up). This was mainly the game played by the ANZAC soldiers. Though this game is forbidden in most of the Australian states, it is free and legal during ANZAC day. ANZAC day having been a commemoration day between Australia and New Zealand, the two countries have therefore regarded this day very much special for sharing and remembrance. The citizens of the two countries can therefore be able to learn from one another and share ideas on the diversities of their culture.
On this day, very many people can learn about the past, the present and also the future culture. Those who are young will get to know about new things including the existence of Australian football. Australian football was mainly the game which was played by the Australian troops at their leisure time when they were in the mission abroad. The game has been played in many occasions especially when the soldiers are abroad. It ideally involves playing football based on the Australian rules. Its motive was to remind the troops about their culture back at home. The ANZAC soldiers might not have had enough time to play this game but the Australian soldiers who had gone for war in Vietnam and North Africa are the ones who used to play this game. The game was therefore used as a binding string for all Australian soldiers abroad. During ANZAC day therefore, Australian football is played for everyone to see. It is usually played in front of a big crowd of almost 70,000 plus people.
The teams who play are usually selected from the local rivals. The match which is displayed during this day is mainly considered as the largest because it draws largest crowds. The winner of the game is awarded an ANZAC prize which is usually a medal. For a team to win, they should display a real Australian football combined with the spirit of ANZAC i.e. combined effort, courage and oneness. During this occasion also, the youth and the young ones can get to know the game of two-up. This is the game which was majorly played by the ANZAC soldiers during their free time and since the game has been ruled out by the Australian government, ANZAC day is the only day which offers the freedom for this game to be played and watched openly. This therefore offers a good chance for the young to get to acquaint themselves with, and to learn and participate in the game. This is therefore a real chance for the production and inheritance of culture.
There is also the spirit of sharing and learning during the ANZAC day. This is mainly depicted by the rugby league which is being played during this day. The spirit of sharing is mainly brought about by the participation of the two countries in this league. The two countries having been the former ANZAC countries i.e. Australia and New Zealand. The game depicts the spirit of sharing because the two countries have come up together to commemorate their lost ones with a common goal. By participating in this game shows the sign of togetherness in celebrating the courage of those who lost their lives during the war. The spirit of learning is also displayed in this game. The younger ones can get to know more about rugby and the way it is played. Being one of the favorite sports in the region, the kids and the youth can get to learn more skills and more techniques of this game. The game is usually played by the two countries i.e. Australia and New Zealand and it usually attracts a very large crowd. The crowd usually ranges from 19-46,000 people. Ruby has been played since 1926 as one of the commemoration sports during ANZAC day.
ANZAC day is a typical day of cultural production. This is because so many people irrespective of their age, culture or race get to learn so many things. They also share their emotions and grieve with others and they can learn from one another. Apart from the history and the origin of the ANZAC day itself, there are so many other things that one can learn on this day. One can really learn about the real meaning of the dawn service, the gunfire breakfast, the commemorations, the marching on the streets, the two-up gambling game, Australian football and also the Rugby league match.
People can also share their grievances and emotions by attending to the dawn services and then commemorating about the lost ones by placing wreath besides their names on the Australian memorial park. They can also share by participating and cheering their own teams as a sign of togetherness. People can also be taught about the real meaning of conducting dawn services, gunfire breakfast and also the existence of the two-up gambling game only during ANZAC day. They can also get to learn freely from the willing teachers on how to play these cultural games especially the Australian football and the two-up game. This in turn will result to cultural inheritance as one generation will be learning from another. This by far and large will then lead to cultural production.
Gregory, A.1994.The Silence of Memory: Armistice Day, 1919-1946. Oxford, England. Berg.
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