Anzac Day — My Speeches

Speech Transcript

My Speech on Anzac Day

Hello everyone! Today I want to introduce an important memorial day to you — Anzac Day.

Every year on April 25th, Australia and New Zealand celebrate Anzac Day. The short form ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

This day comes from World War I. On April 25th, 1915, soldiers from Australia and New Zealand went to fight in Gallipoli, Turkey. The war was very hard. Many young soldiers lost their lives on the battlefield and never came back home.

Later, people set this day as Anzac Day. We do not celebrate war, but remember these brave and selfless soldiers, and their sacrifice for their comrades and countries.

On this day, people hold dawn services in the early morning and keep silent to mourn. Veterans walk on the street and receive people's respect. People also wear red poppies to remember the heroes who passed away.

This day tells us to cherish peace, learn to be brave and responsible, and always remember those who gave for peace.

That's all for my speech. Thank you!

Anzac Day — Did You Know?

Here are some interesting facts about Anzac Day that go a little deeper than the speech — history, traditions, symbols, and the spirit that makes this day so special.

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Why a Red Poppy?

During World War I, red poppies were one of the first wildflowers to bloom over the graves of fallen soldiers in Flanders, Belgium. A famous poem called In Flanders Fields (1915) made the poppy a symbol of remembrance across the Allied nations. Today, wearing a poppy on Anzac Day is a way of saying: "We have not forgotten."

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The Dawn Service

Services begin before sunrise — around 5:30–6:00 AM. This mirrors the time of the original Gallipoli landing on April 25, 1915. Standing in the dark and cold is itself a form of respect, connecting people to what those soldiers felt on that distant shore.

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The Gallipoli Campaign

The Gallipoli Campaign lasted 8 months (April–December 1915). About 11,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. Despite failing its military objectives, the campaign became the foundation of both nations' sense of national identity.

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"Lest We Forget"

These three words are the most important phrase of Anzac Day. They come from a poem by Rudyard Kipling and are repeated at every service. They remind everyone that forgetting is a second loss — we owe it to those who died to keep their memory alive.

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Two-Up: The Anzac Game

Two-Up is a traditional Australian coin-tossing gambling game that soldiers played in the trenches. It is illegal on most days in Australia, but on Anzac Day it is allowed as a cultural tradition. People gather at pubs to play it in memory of the soldiers.

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The Anzac Biscuit

Made from oats, golden syrup, flour, and coconut, Anzac biscuits were sent by families to soldiers overseas because the ingredients don't spoil quickly. Today they are baked and eaten on Anzac Day as a sweet connection to history.

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Observed Around the World

Anzac Day is observed not just in Australia and New Zealand, but also in Turkey, France, England, Papua New Guinea, and wherever Anzac descendants live. The former Gallipoli battlefield in Turkey holds a major international dawn service each year.

A Short Timeline

1915

April 25 — The Gallipoli Landing Australian and New Zealand troops land at Gallipoli, Turkey, beginning one of WWI's most difficult campaigns.

1916

First Official Anzac Day April 25 is observed for the first time as a day of remembrance across Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the UK.

1927

National Public Holiday in Australia Anzac Day becomes a formal public holiday throughout all Australian states and territories.

1965

50th Anniversary Major commemorations are held. Dawn services grow in scale, becoming a defining national tradition.

Today

A Living Tradition Hundreds of thousands attend dawn services each year. Young people, veterans, and families continue to gather — making sure the memory never fades.

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"Anzac Day is not about glorifying war. It is about honouring courage, sacrifice, and the price of peace — so that future generations never have to pay it again."