Colouring NestRemembrance Day vs Anzac Day: what’s the difference?
Anzac Day, on 25 April, marks the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli in 1915. It is a public holiday in both countries, with dawn services, marches and ceremonies at war memorials. Remembrance Day, on 11 November, marks the Armistice that ended the fighting of the First World War at 11 am on 11 November 1918, and is observed with a minute's silence at 11 am; it is not a public holiday. Today both days remember all who served and died in war, not only in the First World War.
Anzac Day and Remembrance Day at a glance
| Compare | Anzac Day | Remembrance Day |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 25 April | 11 November |
| Marks | The Gallipoli landings, 25 April 1915 | The Armistice, 11 November 1918 |
| First observed | 1916 | 1919, as Armistice Day |
| Public holiday | Yes, in New Zealand and Australia | No |
| Main customs | Dawn services, marches, wreath laying | A minute's silence at 11 am |
What is Anzac Day?
"Anzac" comes from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On 25 April 1915 these troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in what is now Türkiye. NZ History, from Manatū Taonga, notes that New Zealand first observed Anzac Day in 1916 and that the Anzac Day Act of 1920 made 25 April a public holiday. The Australian War Memorial describes Anzac Day as one of Australia's most important national occasions, marking the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces in the First World War.
Over time the day has widened to honour everyone who has served. Typical events are a dawn service at a local memorial, a later civic service, a parade of veterans and families, and the laying of wreaths.
What is Remembrance Day?
Fighting on the Western Front stopped at 11 am on 11 November 1918, when the Armistice took effect. The day was first called Armistice Day. According to the Australian War Memorial, two minutes' silence was first observed in Australia on the first anniversary of the Armistice, and after the Second World War the Australian and British governments renamed it Remembrance Day so that it covered all war dead. In 1997 Governor-General Sir William Deane proclaimed 11 November as Remembrance Day and urged Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am, as the Department of Veterans' Affairs Anzac Portal records.
New Zealand also marks the Armistice on 11 November (NZ History tells the story of how the news reached the country in its Armistice Day pages), but Anzac Day is its main day of remembrance.
Why New Zealand wears poppies in April
In many countries the red poppy is worn around 11 November. New Zealand is different, by accident. The Returned Soldiers' Association planned its first Poppy Day for Armistice Day 1921, but the ship carrying the poppies from France arrived too late. NZ History's page on the red poppy explains that the poppies went on sale on 24 April 1922 instead, and since 1927 Poppy Day has been held on the Friday before Anzac Day. As Te Ara notes, volunteers hand out poppies on Poppy Day in return for donations to the RSA welfare fund. In most other countries, the poppy is mainly a Remembrance Day symbol.
Talking about Anzac Day and Remembrance Day with children
- Start with remembering. For young children, keep it simple: long ago many people went to war, many did not come home, and we stop to remember them and hope for peace.
- Make it personal. Look for family names on a local memorial or ask relatives whether anyone in the family served.
- Practise the silence. A minute is a long time for a five-year-old. Try 30 seconds first and talk about what they thought about.
- Keep the tone respectful. These are days of remembrance, so "happy Anzac Day" doesn't fit. Images of poppies, rosemary, doves and wreaths suit children better than soldiers or weapons.
- Go to a service. Dawn services are early and cold, but many children remember them for years. A mid-morning civic service is a gentler start.
Activities for home and school
- Colour a poppy and add it to a class wreath or a window display.
- Make a rosemary sprig card. NZ History notes rosemary is also worn for remembrance; colour a sprig and pin a real one to it.
- Bake Anzac biscuits and talk about why they are linked to the day.
- Write a "we will remember" message on a colouring page with the words "Lest we forget".
- Make a peace dove for Remembrance Day and talk about what peace means.
