Lest We Forget

Hello everyone, some of you may have noticed I wasn't around yesterday, I had to go and help my mum with her shopping as Sandra was feeling sick and not up to helping so me and Dawson helped her. After I got home I just had no energy I sat watched some telly, had lunch then I had a nap after that I still had no energy so did nothing for the rest of the afternoon.

Today is of course Anzac Day here in Aus, the first Anzac Day was way back in 1916 over a hundred years ago and it is still a special day pretty much for all Aussies, many Aussies travel to Gallipoli for the dawn service.

In 1916 the first Anzac Day ceremonies were held on this date the 25^th April across the country and there was a march through London and there was a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt.

Now days Aussies consider the 25^th April as a day of national remembrance, there are commemorative services held at dawn all over the country and there are marches across the country as well. Many young children attend as well with their parents and grandparents, many schools also take pare in Anzac Day services.

Some people thought the threat of terror attacks would keep people away from services but nope not the case.

Now I am pretty sure every man and his dog know that the Gallipoli campaign was a failure but it was the actions of the Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign that left a powerful legacy. What became know as the “Anzac legend” and became an important part of the identity of both countries.

In many pubs and RSL clubs the game of two-up is played, this game is only ever played on Anzac Day and in some parts of the country it is only legal to play it on Anzac Day.

Two-up is a traditional Aussie gambling game, it has a designated “spinner” throwing up two coins traditionally pennies into the air, players bet on whether the coins will fall with heads or tails up or with one of each which is knows as odds. Pennies are considered the right weight and size for the game, decimal coins are generally considered to be too small and light and they don't fly as well.

Most shops and businesses are closed on Anzac Day at least for the first half of the day some businesses and shops will open from 1pm.

Anzac Day is also as day many people will buy and eat damper, which for those who do not know is a traditional Australian soda bread, it consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire or in a camp oven.