Commemorating ANZAC Day at Make it Crafty

Tomorrow is a special day in Australia called ANZAC Day. I've included some history of ANZAC Day below. You can read more about it HERE. To commemorate this memorial day Zoe at Make it Crafty has offered these beautiful poppies and sentiment for FREE in the Make it Crafty Newsletter. If you received your newsletter this morning, we hope you join us by coloring these poppies and posting your creations to the Make it Crafty FB page. 

 Spectrum Noir Markers:

Red: DR3, DR4, DR5, DR6, DR7

Middle of poppies: CT1, Black

Green: LG3, LG5, JG6

The sentiment is also FREE in the MiC Newsletter. I kept my card pretty simple. The black cardstock in the background was embossed with Anna Griffin ROSE 5x7 Embossing Folder. The ribbon and pearls were in my stash.

What is Anzac Day?

Anzac Day – 25 April – is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

What does ANZAC stand for?

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and the new federal government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. The Gallipoli campaign had a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign left us all a powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “Anzac legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.

We hope you take some time to reflect this weekend on what's important to you. 

Hugs,

Rosie