Anzac Day

Anzac Day is observed in Australia each year on 25 April to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand military personnel. The date marks the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli, Türkiye, on 25 April 1915, during the First World War. Although the Gallipoli campaign ended in withdrawal and heavy Allied losses, the courage, endurance, and mateship associated with the troops became central to Australian national identity. In 2026, Anzac Day falls on Saturday, 25 April.

The first Anzac Day commemorations were held in 1916, while the war was still underway, and the observance gradually expanded to honour those who served in later conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Today, Anzac Day is both a national day of remembrance and a solemn reflection on the human cost of war. It recognises all Australian and New Zealand veterans, serving defence personnel, and those who died or suffered through military service, while also acknowledging the continuing significance of Anzac traditions in Australian public life.

The most distinctive Anzac Day tradition is the dawn service, held in cities, towns, and at war memorials across Australia. Participants gather before sunrise for prayers or readings, hymns, the Last Post, a period of silence, the Rouse or Reveille, and the laying of wreaths. The Australian and New Zealand national anthems are commonly sung, and commemorative addresses often include the Ode of Remembrance, concluding with the response, "We will remember them." Later in the morning, Anzac Day marches bring together veterans, current service members, descendants of veterans, community groups, and cadets.

Many Australians visit memorials, attend remembrance ceremonies, wear rosemary or red poppies, and watch televised services from Gallipoli and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. The day is also associated with the traditional game of two-up, a coin-tossing game historically played by soldiers; it is generally permitted in licensed venues on Anzac Day under Australian state and territory rules. Anzac biscuits, made with rolled oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, and baking soda, are widely prepared and eaten, although their precise connection to wartime care packages is part of a later popular tradition. Common greetings include "Lest we forget" and "We will remember them," expressions of remembrance rather than festive celebration. Public holiday and retail arrangements for Saturday, 25 April 2026, including substitute days, may vary between Australian states and territories.