Bohemian Conservative
The First Post ...Introduction To History of Anzac Day April 25th
The following is a brief summary of the meaning of ANZAC Day to New Zealanders, I thought I would post this, for those of you that are not aware of ANZAC significance to New Zealand.
"ANZAC Day is the 25th of April. It is a day that is set aside in both New Zealand and Australia to think about and honour those who have fought for our freedom. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is a public holiday.
Although red poppies are a symbol of Remembrance Day (Nov 11th) in New Zealand they are more closely associated with ANZAC Day. They grew wild on the European battlefields of WWI. One story has it that the soldiers were able to look out from their battle trenches across these fields of poppies and imagine that each represented a fallen soldier; another which appears more credible is that poppies grew more easily in the churned up soil of the battlefields making the blood red flowers a potent symbol of the war. In New Zealand poppy buttonholes are sold by volunteers on the weekday prior to ANZAC Day which is known as Poppy Day and the proceeds go towards helping veterans, and their families. This tradition started back in 1922.
In human terms the cost of WWI to New Zealand was horrendous. Between 1914-1918 out of a population of 1 million nearly 17 000 men - 1 in 65 of the population did not return from the war. The total NZ casualties in the war represented one in 17 of the population. The casualties at Gallipoli were 33 000, including 8000 New Zealanders and 7000 Australians. Out of 10 000 Kiwis who fought at Gallipoli 3000 lost their lives and 5000 were wounded. If those figures were put in context with the USA population today, [1996], it would be like the US sending away 2.5 million men and 2 million of them being killed or wounded."
Full acknowledgment to the site azmetro.com where I obtained this piece.
"ANZAC Day is the 25th of April. It is a day that is set aside in both New Zealand and Australia to think about and honour those who have fought for our freedom. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is a public holiday.
Although red poppies are a symbol of Remembrance Day (Nov 11th) in New Zealand they are more closely associated with ANZAC Day. They grew wild on the European battlefields of WWI. One story has it that the soldiers were able to look out from their battle trenches across these fields of poppies and imagine that each represented a fallen soldier; another which appears more credible is that poppies grew more easily in the churned up soil of the battlefields making the blood red flowers a potent symbol of the war. In New Zealand poppy buttonholes are sold by volunteers on the weekday prior to ANZAC Day which is known as Poppy Day and the proceeds go towards helping veterans, and their families. This tradition started back in 1922.
In human terms the cost of WWI to New Zealand was horrendous. Between 1914-1918 out of a population of 1 million nearly 17 000 men - 1 in 65 of the population did not return from the war. The total NZ casualties in the war represented one in 17 of the population. The casualties at Gallipoli were 33 000, including 8000 New Zealanders and 7000 Australians. Out of 10 000 Kiwis who fought at Gallipoli 3000 lost their lives and 5000 were wounded. If those figures were put in context with the USA population today, [1996], it would be like the US sending away 2.5 million men and 2 million of them being killed or wounded."
Full acknowledgment to the site azmetro.com where I obtained this piece.
posted by Mae at 1:54 PM
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