Commemorating ANZAC Day

Anzac Day was a couple of weeks ago now, but I wanted to mention it because it is so significant to Australia and New Zealand, and it was a spectacular day. Anzac Day is a national holiday and is considered one of the most spiritual and solemn days of the year in Australia.

Anzac Day is commemorated on April 25th every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. I had to work at the bar so I didn’t get to see any of the celebrations.

Solemn remembrance services and military parades are held all over both countries. Also, a lot of pubs (including ours) host a traditional Australian gambling game called "two-up", which was an extremely popular pastime with ANZAC soldiers. Anzac Day day is the only day it is legal to play two-up.

Basically a designated person – the "spinner" – throws two coins up into the air and people gamble on how the coins will fall (both heads up, both tails up, etc.) The bar was absolutely packed with people playing two-up, and you could barely hear above the yelling and chanting for “heads” or “tails”.

These pictures were taken at an ANZAC memorial downtown that I walked passed while shopping downtown the following day. I wish I could’ve taken pictures of the two-up but it was way too busy!!