Celebrating ANZAC Day Trivia Quiz

Answer: 25 April 1915

The ANZACs landed on the beaches of Gallipoli as part of a plan to capture Constantinople and secure naval passage to the Black Sea for Allied ships. It was a military failure, and the months-long struggle led to significant suffering and loss of life. For both Australia and New Zealand, it was their first major participation in international war after attaining independence, and became seen by many as a symbol of maturity as a nation. April 25 was originally designated to commemorate the courage and suffering of the ANZACs, but has since expanded to be a time to recall all those who have died in the service of their country.

The other dates are also associated with significant war-related events. The armistice ending fighting on the Western Front in World War I was signed on 11 November 1918, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 brought the United States into World War II, and 6 June 1944 saw the D-Day invasion of Normandy, start of the final push to end the war in Europe in World War II.

Answer: Because that is when the Gallipoli landing started

While it is true that dawn is a suitable time for reflection, and there are more activities to be completed during a typical ANZAC Day celebration, the reason for the choice of dawn for the commemorative service is that the landing on the beaches of Gallipoli started at dawn. Actually, although it is called a dawn service, they usually are specifically timed to start at 6:00 am, so the service starts in the dark. In 2013, sunrise in Melbourne was at 6:55am, after the main events of the ceremony had finished.

The first dawn service was celebrated in 1927 at the Sydney Cenotaph. Originally, the services were only for veterans, who gathered to remember those who were no longer with them, and they were military ceremonies recalling the practice of having soldiers stand to arms before dawn, the time when the risk of attack was the greatest. More recently, families have been encouraged to participate in the dawn service as well as the family-oriented activities later in the day.

Answer: The Shrine of Remembrance

Nearly 100,000 Victorians fought overseas during World War I, and nearly 20,000 died and were buried far from their families. The government established the Shrine of Remembrance to serve as a substitute for those who could not visit the graves of their fathers, husbands, sons and friends. According to the shrine's website, "Original designs for the Shrine of Remembrance considered the enduring human qualities of Love, Peace, Courage, Integrity, Strength, Faith, Honour and Brotherhood and the value placed on these by the community and those who had fought bravely for their country." The ANZAC Day dawn service is held in the forecourt of the Shrine, where participants can experience the solemnity of the service in the darkness that immediately precedes the dawn.

Many towns and cities throughout the country have a dawn service at their local war memorial, for those who either cannot or choose not to attend one of the larger events.

Answer: Ode of Remembrance

The verse reads:

"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 Ode", as its name is often given in shortened form, is recited nightly at 6:00pm in the clubs operated by the Returned and Services League of Australia, usually called RSLs, across the country, followed by a minute of silence, and then everyone saying together, "Lest we forget". It is one of the highlights of the ANZAC Day dawn service, which usually starts with introductory comments, the singing of a suitable hymn, a speech from some dignitary, and the laying of commemorative wreaths.

Answer: The Last Post

"The Last Post" was played both to mark the end of the day in garrisons, and to signal the end of fighting during war. Its sounding was a signal that wounded soldiers capable of movement could seek safety in that direction. It has since become a standard feature of military funerals in Commonwealth countries.

When played during the ANZAC Day dawn service, it both recalls the use in funerals and metaphorically marks the end of the preceding day. It is followed by a minute of silence, symbolic of a night vigil, then the bugle blows "Reveille", the call for the start of the day.

The Australian national anthem is sung (and in many services, the New Zealand one as well), and the service is finished.

Answer: Poppy

This individual offering of a single flower is in addition to the more formal laying of wreaths that is part of the service.

Many choose to wear a sprig of rosemary (for remembrance) in a lapel or pinned to a shirt, but it is the red poppy which has become associated with paying tribute to fallen soldiers. They gained this association because, the story goes, red poppies were the first plants to grow again in the battlefields of Europe after the war. Red being the colour of the blood that was shed makes them seem all the more appropriate as a symbol. Originally they were only part of the ceremonies on November 11, but since the early 1990s it has become increasingly common for participants leaving the dawn service on ANZAC Day to go past the Roll of Honour and leave a poppy near the name of a relative, or just in tribute to all those whose names are listed. Cloth poppies suitable for the purpose are sold by RSLs to raise money for their charitable work supporting ex-soldiers and the families of deceased soldiers.

Answer: Coffee laced with rum or condensed milk

A gunfire breakfast is usually offered by the local RSL, at no charge, to all participants in their dawn service. It originally reflected the meal that soldiers would have eaten immediately before going to battle, which was given that name. In World War I it probably had something like tinned beef or biscuits with jam to accompany the coffee, and would certainly have been a cold meal, since fires would give away their position. The modern gunfire breakfast is likely to be a massive hot meal offering bacon, sausages, eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, damper (either fresh or toasted), and more, accompanied by a range of drinks including the traditional coffee. At the 2013 dawn service held in Gallipoli, participants were given a cup of coffee (with or without the rum) before the service, presumably to help them keep warm.

ANZAC biscuits are traditionally eaten later in the day. Made from rolled oats, flour, dried coconut, butter and golden syrup, they were supposedly baked in Australia to be sent to soldiers fighting overseas because they kept well during the long voyage. True or not, they make a nice snack!

Answer: False

The march has always been an event for families as well as military personnel, although in the early years families played a supporting role as spectators. As time passed, and the veterans died, the custom of having their descendants march in their place grew to be common. Only the actual recipient of any was medal can wear it on the left breast, but relatives may wear them on the right breast.

It is common to see quite young children proudly honouring the memory of their grandfathers, or even more distant relatives.

Answer: Two-up

Two-up is a traditional Australian gambling game in which two coins are tossed, and observers bet on whether they will both land Heads or both Tails. The person who is going to toss the coins, called the spinner, hopes it will be two heads, and places a bet that someone must meet before the coins can be tossed. That person is hoping for two tails. If the coins land with one of each, they must be tossed again.

The other spectators can place side bets amongst themselves as to what the result of the next throw will be. (There are many local variants of detail, but that is the basic structure of the game.) Connoisseurs of the game favour the use of pre-decimal pennies - their size and weight makes them fly nicely, and the difference between the two sides is very distinct, making it easy to read the results.

Answer: Australian Rules football game

In 1995, the Essendon Bombers and the Collingwood Magpies started the ANZAC Day tradition of playing a match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on ANZAC Day afternoon. This is one of the biggest games in terms of audience outside of the finals series at the end of the season - over 95,000 attended the first match. In 2013 the Australian Football League expanded the ANZAC Day competition to include a match played in New Zealand, the first time that an AFL game for competition points was played outside of Australia. The Sydney Swans defeated the St. Kilda Saints in Wellington, and became the first to win the Simpson-Henderson Trophy, named after two ANZAC soldiers, Australian John Simpson Kirkpatrick and New Zealander Richard Alexander Henderson, both of whom helped carry injured soldiers from the battlefield to receive medical treatment. The establishment of a trophy suggests that they plan for this event to become a tradition for the future.

For those who follow the other main Australian football code, the National Rugby League also holds matches on ANZAC Day. Since 2002, ANZAC Day has featured the St. George Illawarra Dragons playing the Sydney Roosters; in 2009 a second match between the Melbourne Storm and the New Zealand Warriors, played in Melbourne, was added to the schedule.