Tommorow marks a special day for Australia and New Zealand. Its a public holiday, where many shops will be closed for the morning and many services will take place all over the country beginning with the Dawn Service. Its a day known as Anzac Day. The Anzacs were the Australia and New Zealand Army Corp and were the group of soldiers from these countries who went to fight in Gallipoli (in Turkey) during World War 1. The beach where those Anzacs first landed has been named Anzac Cove. Many soldiers from both countries were killed at that place (over 10500 in all), but the day has since expanded to remember all Kiwis and Aussies who died at war. It is usually remembered through the services where parades are held and returned servicemen wear their badges and stand to honour their fallen comerades. Wreaths are also laid in memory of the fallen and the Last Post is played during a time of otherwise silence. Poppies are the symbol of rememberance for those who lost their lives - as can be heard about in the poem
'In Flanders Fields' by Lt Colonel John McCrae:
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
2 comments:
10500... wow. That's a lot. :( Sounds like a great holiday! It's always good for a country to sit back and remember.
I really like that poem! It's kinda eerie, but still really pretty. :)
I couldn't say what I have to say better than netsirK did so I just echo her statements. :)
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