“There’s no doubt that ANZAC Day 2020 will be very different to ANZAC Days of previous years,” says Ray James, Acting President, RSL NSW.
“While we will not be gathering at services or marches, there are still many ways to acknowledge ANZAC Day and ensure Australian servicemen and women are appropriately remembered.”
“Traditional dawn services and marches are just not possible this year, but as with all other Australians right now, we have to change the way we do things, evolve and make the best of our situation. Nothing can ever take away the importance of ANZAC Day or our values of mateship and camaraderie as we honour our service personnel and show our ANZAC Spirit.
“Now is the time for all of us to show our ANZAC Spirit, including ingenuity, and we welcome the many and varied ideas that have been embraced by the community. Any activity that respectfully shows commemoration and thanks is most welcome.”
7 ways you can celebrate ANZAC DAY in 2020
1. Tune into live services and virtual commemorative services
5:30am: A national dawn service will be televised on the ABC from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. This service will be led by the Governor General and Prime Minister. It is scheduled to commence with the pre-service program at 5am with the national service at 5.30am.
10.00am: RSL NSW will facilitate a 10am televised service attended by the Governor at the Hyde Park Memorial. Please check your local TV guides.
2. Light up the dawn at 6am on ANZAC Day
6:00am: Go to the end of your driveway, stand on your balcony or in your lounge room facing east from 6am, for a minute silence to remember those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms allowed to us today and listen to a brief commemorative service. Together – even while apart – we’ll remember those who served and sacrificed. You can pledge your support here.
3. Be part of the Community Ode
Recite the Ode and play the Last Post at 6am in driveways, balconies and living rooms followed by one-minute silence to mark when the first Australian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915.
Record a video of yourself reciting The Ode or sharing a message of support for veterans on your social media. Respond “Going” to the RSL’s ANZAC Day 2020 Facebook event. Then use the hashtags #ANZACspirit and #lightupthedawn and share how you’ll be commemorating privately, as well as who you’ll be remembering this ANZAC Day.
4. Bake ANZAC biscuits with your kids
Baking Anzac biscuits with your kids is a great way to celebrate ANZAC Day, and is a time-honoured tradition to mark our country’s National Day of Remembrance. It has been claimed that biscuits were sent by wives and women’s groups to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. Click here for the recipe.
5. Reach out to a mate or veteran who might be alone
Many people are alone during this time of isolation. It’s an opportunity to invoke the ANZAC value of mateship and check to see how a mate is doing. And if you know a veteran please call or reach out to them, check in on them, thank them for their service and help them if needed during this time. You could even arrange a virtual happy hour with a few of your mates via Zoom or the House Party app to participate in a group video chat and talk about what ANZAC Day means to each other and raise a glass to our ADF past and present.
6. Keep the kids amused with the downloadable ‘Poppy’ stencil
Print off our ANZAC Day Poppy stencil and have the kids colour it in red and then stick it in your window or on your letterbox to show that you will be participating in your own Dawn Service.
7. Draw a poppy on your driveway
Draw a Poppy on the driveway or footpath with chalk and include the words ‘LEST WE FORGET’. A great way to do something different all while talking about why we all pause on this special day.
Seven Hills RSL is saddened that this will be the first year in a long time that we will not be hosting our ANZAC Day Dawn Service, however we would like to encourage you to mark Anzac Day by Respecting the Day from your homes. As a community we must all still take the time to stop on ANZAC Day and remember those men and women who’ve made incredible sacrifices for others during past moments of conflict and crisis.
Respect the Day – Saturday 25 April, 2020
