Why is ANZAC Day in New Zealand a public holiday?

Answer 1

ANZAC day in New Zealand is commemorated, rather than celebrated, by a (ANZAC) parade which starts at dawn on ANZAC day. Services begin before dawn, as members of the defence services march to their local memorial (almost every town, large and small, in New Zealand and Australia, have a war memorial, or an "ANZAC Square") where members of the public and community leaders join them for a Dawn Service. A catafalque guard of honour around the war memorial is provided by Uniformed service personnel. The service is marked by the National Anthem, hymns, a piper, laying of ANZAC wreaths and the ANZAC Dedication which incorporates the final verse of Laurence Binyon's "For the Fallen": They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them. Finally, a single bugler sounds the Last Post, followed by a minute's silence, and the sounding of Reveille.

Answer 2

ANZAC Day is not celebrated: it is a day of commemoration.

ANZAC Day is commemirated in a variety of ways, but there are some common themes:

• singing of either, or sometimes both of the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems (Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand)
• prayer for the Queens and the Commonwealth, for the Nation and a prayer for peace
• incorporation of the symbols of ANZAC, e.g. Medals; Reverse Arms; Catafalque; Rosemary; Poppy/ Pozi

Answer 3

ANZAC Day is not celebrated: it is a day of commemoration.

ANZAC Day is commemirated in a variety of ways, but there are some common themes:

• singing of either, or sometimes both of the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems (Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand)
• prayer for the Queens and the Commonwealth, for the Nation and a prayer for peace
• incorporation of the symbols of ANZAC, e.g. Medals; Reverse Arms; Catafalque; Rosemary; Poppy/ Poziéres
• reading of the poems "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon and "In Flanders' Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
• Those gathered for the service repeat the last line of the final verse of "For the Fallen":

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

• A catafalque guard of honour around the war memorial, provided by Uniformed service personnel
• sometimes singing of war songs such as It's a Long Way toTipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles
• singing of hymns that remember the dead, such as "Abide With Me" and "Eternal father Strong to Save" (the latter being a mariners' hymn)
• laying of the ANZAC wreaths
• bugle renditions of The Last Post and Reveille
• One minute's silence

Schoolchildren incorporate other elements. For example, there is a song entitiled "The Last ANZAC", which is often sung at these assemblies. Literature relevant to the children may be read, such as selections from Lois Krok's "Letters from Gallipoli". School captains are also selected to attend more formal public commemorations.

Answer 4

ANZAC Day is commemorated (not "celebrated") only in Australia and New Zealand. Within these two countries, there are numerous similarities in how ANZAC services are conducted.

Answer 5

The 25th of April is a national holiday with both pre-dawn and 11am war memorial services held up and down the country at cenotaphs and all shops closed until 1pm.