روز انزک

Anzac Day

April 25th is Anzac Day, Australia’s national day of commemoration. It is a day to remember the Australian soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives for their country.

Anzac Day marks the anniversary of when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) mobilized and landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula. It was just nine months after the outbreak of World War I.

The objective of this joint mission was for the troops to capture what is now present-day Istanbul. At the time, Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. The campaign involved fierce fighting for months and ended without victory at the end of 1915.

Over 8,000 Australian soldiers lost their lives. By the end of the war, 60,000 were killed and over 150,000 were wounded or taken prisoner. Thus, April 25th became a day of remembrance.

However, Anzac Day now goes beyond the day of the Gallipoli landing. Now, it is a day to pay tribute to all Australians who served and died in any military operation. Every year on April 25th at 5:30 AM, formal commemorative services are held across the nation.

This is usually referred to as the Dawn Service. The service includes praying, laying wreaths of red poppies, observing a period of silence, and singing the national anthem.

During the day, former servicemen and women march through major cities. People wear sprigs of rosemary on their coats to symbolize remembering and remembrance.

Rosemary has particular significance, because it grows wild across the Gallipoli Peninsula. Anzac Day was originally set to commemorate the anniversary of the landing in Gallipoli. But it is now a day to celebrate the courage, determination, and perseverance of the Australians who served and died in all wars and peacekeeping operations.

Anzac Day Is also a day of unity as people share their sorrow for the many lives lost in wars.