It actually seems contrary to the “Anzac spirit”, which wartime historian Charles Bean defined as: “Reckless valor in a good cause, enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never own defeat.”

Although, I suppose it is resourceful of Australians to contrive an excuse for a long weekend.

Maybe I’m just bitter that I worked most holiday Mondays during my career as a journalist.

But it’s interesting to note our Kiwi friends aren’t taking a day off on Monday.

“A spokesman for the Minister of Labour said there were no immediate plans to change the current situation and most New Zealanders wanted to recognise Anzac Day on the day itself.”

And it will be interesting to see how resourceful Australians are next year when Anzac Day falls on Easter Monday.

Regarding Anzac Day itself, there has been some discussion this year about whether relatives of deceased servicemen should be allowed to march, as they have been encouraged to do in past years.

Relatives were today being asked to join the back of the marches. The RSL said this was to boost the dignity of the events amid concerns about the dress sense and behaviour of some planning to attend.

That’s fair enough. I’ve been concerned that Anzac Day has lost its solemnity in recent years. Some people behave as if it’s a celebration, rather than a commemoration.

There will come a time soon enough when there are no longer WW2 veterans marching. The RSL needs to start planning for this, both in terms of its membership and managing the Anzac Day ceremonies.

I suggest doing away with the marches. Simply have an 11am service in addition to the dawn service.

In fact, I gave the man $5 and he handed over four poppies, so I gave two of them to Jim and Maggie.

I always get a little reflective and melancholy around Remembrance Day.

It really is a fitting reminder of the horrors of World War One and a chance for me to ensure the memory of my great uncle James Gorey (pictured below) lives on.

The Anzac Day website contains this information about the red poppy symbol:

November is poppy month, the time of the year when by the wearing of a simple emblem, a red poppy, we salute the memory of those who sacrificed their health, their strength, even their lives, that we might live in a free country.

The red Flanders’ poppy was first described as a flower of remembrance by Colonel John McCrae, who was Professor of Medicine at McGill University of Canada before World War One. Colonel McCrae had served as a gunner in the Boer War, but went to France in World War One as a medical Officer with the first Canadian Contingent.

At the second battle of Ypres in 1915, when in charge of a small first-aid post, he wrote in pencil on a page torn from his despatch book:

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Take up our quarrel with the foe,
To you from failing hands we throw
The Torch: be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ fields.

Some Australians cling to what they believe is English spelling for words like “programme” and anything that potentially ends in -our like “colour”.

I think they are mistaken. Researching newspapers from the 1890s for my family history a few years ago the consistent style was to spell “color” etc.

That’s possibly because newspapers are leaders in simplifying the language. They write in the vernacular without being crude.

For that reason I say the Ellenbrook sub-branch of the RSL is on the wrong track in their motion to demand the Macquarie Dictionary drop the word Anzac, and by extension, that newspapers also use ANZAC instead of Anzac.

It’s reported in The West Australian today the sub-branch objects to “faceless academics” (the dictionary wordmasters) influencing public opinion. It’s actually the other way around.

ANZAC of course stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

A good sub-editor once instilled in me a hatred of acronyms. They are evil, she said, and should be replaced wherever possible except when they are easily understood and accepted, such as AFL and ACTU.

Many acronyms are obscure jargon and in print they stand out like dog’s balls.

ANZAC could survive though, according to her ruthless definition, because it’s widely understood and in common usage, but it really does leap off a page.

Besides, Anzac has come to represent more than just the Army Corp which landed at Gallipoli. It says something about the Australian character. It’s an adjective as well as an acronym.

Sorry Ellenbrook RSL, but Anzac is here to stay.

I remember attending April 25 parades as a cub scout in Traralgon where the returned soldiers outnumbered the spectators. There were Boer War veterans in the earliest march that I can recall.

Today it is fashionable to observe Anzac Day, which is great, but I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard people talk about “celebrating” the occasion.

There is nothing to celebrate.

And while it’s encouraging that more young people are getting involved, they need to understand what the First World War means in the context of Australian history.

I’ll be attending an Anzac Day service, as I generally do, but I wonder how many people really know the facts apart from those which have been made popular in the media.

Australia was British to the bootstraps in 1914 and our young men marched away without a thought for the consequences; the same as the young men of Canada, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand. It would be wrong to portray this as a turning point in our nationhood, because these young people did their duty.

Some people like to suggest it was the defining moment of Australian nationalism. I disagree.

The Second World War was the turning point in Australian history because we realised Britain could no longer protect us and we turned to the United States instead.

Young people should be taught about the great division which occurred in Australian society during WW1 regarding the conscription debate. The government wanted compulsory military service but this was rejected by the people. The Catholic Irish were prominent in defeating the proposal.

That said more about the Australian character than our courageous military endeavors, which many other countries can also claim.

As mentioned, four of my great-uncles served in the war and one was killed. My grandfather didn’t go.

I’m told he received white feathers as a consequence. That is shameful considering he had proper employment, a pregnant wife and an infant daughter. It’s the equivalent of anonymous hate mail today. Students should know that some people behaved in this disgraceful manner.

I’m afraid though that Anzac Day is being glorified. I consider it a solemn occasion for serious prayer and reflection. I don’t accept there is anything to celebrate.

Today I went to the Kalgoorlie parade (there was also one in Boulder). The crowd wasn’t as great as I expected, but apparently there were 3000 people at the Dawn Service.

The march went from the Post Office to the Town Hall. People then proceeded inside, which was also unusual in my experience.

What followed was a moving ceremony with a choir, band and enthusiastic participation from the audience. I was highly impressed.

I estimate there were fewer than 20 veterans in the parade (I was told about 60 participated at Boulder). I compared this with Bright, where despite a smaller population of about 3000 people some 100 ex-service personnel usually marched.

That says nothing except to remark on the different demographics in terms of age groups.