BEHIND TRADITION: October 2015

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

AUSTRALIA'S ANZAC DAY

Today we are going to talk about Australia. In particular, about the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). It is a celebration which takes place every April 25^th and it commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand troops in Gallipoli to fight against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. They made a mistake in the landing as it was not in the place that they had expected. For this reason the battle was lost and many soldiers died. It was first made in Gallipoli in 1990 by some militaries and veterans who have survived this battle. Since then, people go out every April 25th at sunrise for remembering those soldiers who died.

Here I leave you a video which explains clearly why they celebrate ANZAC day:

During the day some activities which have to do with the commemoration of the soldiers are done. Since the very beginning of the day, prayers are made in front of the casualties soldiers’ statues and a mass is hold in every church as well. Besides it is made the ‘gunfire breakfast’ which is the breakfast that soldiers used to take prior to a morning battle. It is a cocktail made of coffee and rum but people also take another sort of breakfast: It is Turkish toasted bread with Vegemite spread over it. For going with it, they drink 'Billly tea' (it was first made by the Australian settlers who made their tea in the fire with a billy) or a strong Turkish coffee. I think it is a good form of trying to join both cultures, the Australian one and the one which those days of war was its enemy.