This year, amidst the lock down and the chaos, many New Zealanders are planning the long, arduous trek to the letter box to stand and honour the traditions of a nation, a stationary dawn parade for ANZAC day. Even while relegated to the confines of our properties, ANZAC day and the traditions for honouring it are still a fundamental part of New Zealand culture and community, but why? Is this just an obligation, or is it more important now that ever to remember the sacrifices that have been given for us and stand together as a nation?
The praises of New Zealand have been fairly loud lately, with swift responses to terrorism, abortion law reform, a strict and swift reaction to the pandemic, cleaner energy, single use plastic legislation, somewhat reasonable recycling practices and all kinds of progressive movements, and perhaps the most important and underlying of all, a community and togetherness.
Two years consecutively now, ANZAC day has fallen within a time of unrest and a time of isolation. In 2019 the Christchurch mosque shooting constrained social gatherings to small numbers with a lot of security which severely limited services able to be provided by the RSA. This did not stop Citizens holding their own services though, some at RSA locations.
The saying “history repeats” is a very contentious one but in this case it rings true. With lockdown requiring that everybody stays within their own household, ANZAC day services must once again be cancelled and the RSA’s will remain empty. But there is still a community and there is still a plan to honour those fallen soldiers and passed servicemen as every year before.
This show of honour, respect and perseverance is truly a testament to the community that is theorised by Durkheim. A community and tradition that has been steadfast since 1916 continuing even over 100 years late to connect a nation and solidify the community. With the turmoil of the past two years, it is clear that ANZAC day is not only a remembrance and an honour ceremony but remains a constant reminder of our community spirit and strength of our nation, all born out of a tragedy of war. Arguably this is the biggest sacrifice and gift the soldiers could have ever made, without even knowing they made it.
We will remember them.
Thank you for writing about ANZAC. I spent the last 3 high schooling years at Vanguard Military School. There we were taught the values of what it takes to be a great solider ( team player in life) and how with the right tools we have control of our futures. Every year my school works closely with the RSA. I had the privilege to march at the Auckland War memorial Museum as part of the dawn march for ANZAC. And volunteered to help celebrate and reflect on many significant events of the past. This has opened my eyes to many stories from people once my age, and how different the world is today. The level of love and honour that is shared amongst those who reflect. It is with pride that we celebrate another year of ANZAC. together with resilience and remembrance. even at the bottom of our drive ways.
I thought this was a beautiful and thought provoking post – what a timely and meaningful message 🙂 I love the idea that despite the absence of our physical congregation, the significance of New Zealand’s history and ANZAC day remains and can be commemorated. I like to think that it is often during times of collective hardship that we remember the sacrifices and struggles of those before us – as you say it isn’t necessarily just about a sense of obligation, but from the unity that remembering the greater sacrifices of our society in the past can bring us. I also think that these so called “shocks” that Charles Allen described may be able to bring out some of the better features of our collective identity and consciousness – especially our compassion and resilience that places us so highly on the relative positive peace index. I thought the reference to Durkheim’s theory on the collective and the nature of community (what holds us together) is especially relevant here – equally applicable in regards to our current circumstances as it is to the past. It is such an interesting thing to think about because war and conflict are such violent and destructive forces, yet they still have the power to bring about positive progression and changes in our society, and to strengthen our common national identities. War has been such a shaping force on the structure of modern society, so it is humbling to remember what got us to this point – the sacrifices and losses that were made in the past and how it has changed our lives today. Thank you for your post, I’m looking forward to the next one 🙂