ANZAC Day in New Zealand ― Date, History, and Details
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Let's dive deeper into learning more about the history of ANZAC Day in New Zealand and why people celebrate or observe it.
History of ANZAC Day in New Zealand and How to Celebrate/ Observe It
ANZAC Day is a national day of remembrance in New Zealand, observed on 25 April. It commemorates the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers – the ANZACs – at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I.
The Gallipoli campaign was an eight-month Allied offensive against the Ottoman Empire, aimed at securing control of the Dardanelles Strait and opening a route to the Black Sea and Russia. The ANZACs landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and fighting continued until the evacuation of Allied troops in December 1915.
More than 8,000 New Zealanders were killed or wounded in the Gallipoli campaign. ANZAC Day is a time for New Zealanders to remember the sacrifice of those who have died in war, and to reflect on the cost of conflict.
ANZAC Day is also observed in Australia, where it is a public holiday. In New Zealand, ANZAC Day dawn services are held at war memorials around the country, followed by two minutes’ silence and the playing of ‘The Last Post’. Wreaths are laid, and veterans march in remembrance.
In recent years, ANZAC Day has come to be seen as a day to remember all New Zealanders who have served in conflicts, both at home and abroad.