Most Online November Record Topped!

[Tony Smith]

.. commemorates the day, 25th April 1915, when members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (The ANZACs!) landed on Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, and over several months, despite bravery, courage and good humour, saw the demise of too many good mates.
Since then, it has become a day in which not to celebrate war and destruction but to celebrate those good qualities which appear in comrades in adverse conditions and remember friends lost in war and the sacrifices made on our behalf. It has also developed into day in which to celebrate "Australianess".
Of all of the Australian Public Holiday weekends, it is the one which still is widely observed for it's original purpose, that is, Christmas is all about shopping for presents, Easter is for chocolate eggs and who knows the Labour Day weekend is about. It is the one day of the year that my vehicles are made available for the unrestricted use by Old Diggers, but most are too unselfish to accept a ride.
The day traditionally starts with with a dawn ceremony in all capital cities and most regional towns, too. This is a very sombre and decorous service, and usually attended by the "true believers". Later in the morning there are marches and parades, but with much bigger turnouts and a more lively feel. The afternoons are when groups of Ex-Servicemen will disperse to various pubs and clubs to recount good times and war stories over, well, we'll say a beer or two. It is surprising how a group of 80 year olds can get together again and handle their alcohol like they were 20 year olds. More power to their arms, I say!
We still observe rememberance day in November, but Anzac is all that and much more.