ANZAC Day -Dawn Service

Although ANZAC Day has been around for a long time, its mainstream popularity is a recent phenomenon. Like Australia Day, it is built on the anniversary of a tragedy. On the 25th of April 1915, the British landed Australian soldiers at Gallipoli as part of an offensive against the Turkish control of the Dardanelles. Quite stupidly, they landed the Diggers not on an open plain but on scrub-covered hills. The Turks were dug in from elevated positions and mowed down the Diggers as they leapt from the boats. Of the 1500 men who landed in the first wave, only 755 remained in active service at the end of the day.

The fatuity of the event has led some Australians, such as ex-Prime Minister Paul Keating, to criticise it as being immoral, not in Australia's interests, and a failure. Even if such criticisms were justified, the decision to base Anzac Day on the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing has produced a very unique and a very humane approach to war remembrance. Instead of being a jingoistic celebration like many military days around the world, Anzac Day is very human. It begins solemnly, when descends into a party affair with drinking and gambling.

The key feature of the day is the Dawn Service. During battle, dawn was one of the most favoured times for an attack as the half-light played tricks with soldiers' eyes. Therefore, soldiers were awoken in the dark, so that by the time the first dull grey light crept across the battlefield, they were awake and alert.

The fresh light instilled a sense of optimism for the new day tempered by the fear that it could be their last. For those who survived, it bequeathed memories of burying a mate along with the awareness that they would have to preserve the feelings of what they had lost. When the soldiers returned home, the first light of the morning would once again remind them of their experiences and they sought out the company of those who could understand. On the 25th April 1923 at Albany in Western Australia, the Reverend White led a party of friends in what was the first ever observance of a dawn service. It wasn't until 1927 that the first official service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph. Part of the service includes a paragraph taken from the poem ' Ode 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."

The poem neither attributes right or wrong nor does it glorify war as the liberator of freedom. It simply articulates what the war meant to those who were involved in it. Needless to say, it is a message that prime ministers don't always like. They want soldiers to celebrate dying for the government, not reflecting upon the anguish of war.

For decades, families and young people were not welcome at these dawn services but in recent times, they have been encouraged to take part. They have also been encouraged to take part in marches wearing the war medals of deceased relatives. Arguably this was brought about due to necessity as the stars of the show had a habit of dying each year leading to the very real prospect of crowds one day cheering on an empty street. Another suggested change is to allow the Australians who had relatives that fought on the opposite side, to take part wearing the war medals of the deceased.

Christmas

Although not Australian, religious festivals such as Christmas are well supported. Of course, Santa Claus looks a bit inappropriately dressed in his North Pole attire in the heat of the Australian summer. It's also quite strange listening to people sing about a white Christmas when the temperature is hot enough to fry an egg. Finally, the " traditional" Christmas turkey is also proving to be a little unsuitable for the hot weather. When the temperature is 40 degrees, the last thing people want to do is open the door of an even hotter oven. As a consequence, seafood on ice is gradually becoming Australia's favoured Christmas food.

Sometimes people try to get the northern hemisphere Christmas spirit with lights, charity and carols. Again, the Australian environment is a little problematic. Because it doesn't get dark until 9pm, it can be a bit difficult taking the kids on a tour to see some Christmas lights before bedtime. Furthermore, helping a needy person always feels much better when the needy person is freezing in the snow. It just doesn't provide the same emotional gratification when it is hot, and the needy person looks like a bogan who had been kicked out of pub for having too much to drink.

The hot weather is also having an effect on the design of the Christmas tree. In the northern hemisphere, the Christmas tree is of great importance due to the amount of time a family spends indoors around it. But in Australia, families spend more time outdoors on verandas and barbecue areas where the tree is never seen. Consequently, the tree is often some stringy shrub that has only been included because it's the " traditional" thing to do.

With so much time being spent outdoors, Christmas is strongly associated with sport. A game of backyard cricket may put a gift to quick use, and also smooth tensions between distant family members who, despite thinking they should be together on Christmas, really don't like each other.

For those who find playing sport a bit strenuous, Christmas is followed by Boxing Day where they have a great opportunity to watch it. Boxing Day marks the beginning of the Sydney Hobart Yacht race, and tens of thousands of Sydney-siders will flock to see the Yachts commence their 628 nautical mile journey to the Apple Isle. For the next week, Australians all along the south east seaboard will gaze across the ocean to see the Yachts go by.

While Sydney has its Yacht race, Melbourne has its cricket. Up to 100, 000 people will flock to the MCG to see the opening day of the test. Some will be there to get drunk and enjoy the summer sun. Some will be there because they are seriously interested in the cricket. Others will be there because it is Boxing Day tradition.

After Boxing Day comes New Year's Eve. Being in the heat of the Australian summer, this is likely to be spent outside under some fireworks, in a park laying on some grass, on the beach looking at the ocean, or standing on a crowded street looking at an even more crowded nightclub. Couples will enjoy a countdown before heading on their merry way to do what couples do. As for singles, they will await the countdown as an excuse to take the first step towards those things that couples do.