[artichokeheart]

Well it was. It's been hijacked by patriots and nationalists over the last 30-40 years. It's also been propaganised through a national school curriculum for the last 20 years. It's at the point where criticism of anything to do with ANZAC Day is treated with contempt and outrage.

[ra]

I've never been in the armed forces and I don't agree with war, but I think Anzac Day is the most important public holiday.

At every dawn service I'm overwhelmed by the number of young families who clearly have suffered their own loss.

For me Anzac day isn't even remotely about nationalism or patriotism, it's about love, families, bravery, sadness.

I don't think you need to criticise Anzac Day, you just need to see it from the personal perspective of those people who are remembering lost friends and loved ones.

[yitchelle]

> For me Anzac day isn't even remotely about nationalism or patriotism, it's about love, families, bravery, sadness.

That what ANZAC day should be about. It should be about the rememberance of the family thinking about their sons, brothers, fathers on the front line.

I am an Australian living in Germany. Every year when ANZAC day comes around, I also try to imagine how the local German families felt when their love ones go to war. In general, the people from the war generation that attended the war were brainwashed into action. For the Germans who can see through the hatred, they are just humans.

[darrenmc]

As an Australian living in the UK I had always assumed that all countries had a day of remembrance for the sacrifices, futility and horrors of war.

I was quite surprised when a German colleague saw the wearing of red poppies around November 11 as unusual and something he could not grok.