ANZAC DAY

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand. It occurs on 25 April every year to honour those who died and served in military operations for their countries.

The date 25 April was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916. On 25 April 1915, the ANZAC forces landed at Gallipoli. In that campaign 2,721 NZ soldiers lost their lives.

 Paper poppies are widely distributed by the Returned Services Association  (RSA) and 
worn as symbols of remembrance.

Commemorative services are held at dawn, the time of the original landing, mainly at 
war memorials in cities and towns.

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.