Patriot

Today is Anzac Day in Australia – and for many this is the most important national holiday on our calendar.  Dawn services throughout the country draw hundreds of thousands of Australians to pay their respects to the military men and women who have served for this country.

For those who don’t know, ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.  (More on Anzac Day traditions here).

I didn’t attend a dawn service, but in our own way, we remember.  I see Twitter is alight with the hashtag #anzacday as people share their Anzac Day traditions.

It is a public holiday, and we will watch TV coverage and listen to veterans stories.  I have watched Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith (or as my husband likes to refer to him: Superman) read moving tributes in Canberra and speak of the ‘Anzac Spirit’.

I will answer Dash andViolet’s questions and we will toast those who have served as the sun goes down. We will cook pikelets and Anzac biscuits (if I can find all the ingredients) and probably watch a certain boy do a spot of fishing.

Dash arrived home from school yesterday, where they had performed their own Anzac ceremony with plastic poppy wreaths and a taped version of The Last Post.

“I liked laying the circle of poppies Mum… but that horn bit made me really sad’.

It makes me sad too… is there a more simple and moving piece of music in the world I wonder?

Haunting.  Such sacrifice.  It is pretty humbling.  I cannot imagine sending my son or daughter off to war, and I ache for those families who have.

Whether or not you agree with war (and I am not really a fan – I wonder who is?) I love that we stop to give thanks and remember on this day. We are so blessed, to live in this amazing country, to enjoy such freedom.

Days like today bring out the patriot in me.  I don’t want to ramble on but I do want to share a couple of my favourite Aussie-flavoured songs here…

First the inimitable John Williamson (who I introduced you to here, Emu style) with the Gallipoli tribute ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda’:

And, a bit more uplifting, singing the iconic ‘True Blue”:

The wonderful Troy Casser-Daly (a Queensland boy and genuine Aussie nice guy) with ‘Country Is”:

And finally, building to an ‘anthem’ that I (and many of my generation) danced to and sang to at pubs and B&S’s and parties …

The incredible Jimmy Barnes leading Cold Chisel with ‘Khe Sanh’:

Hope you enjoyed my little selection on this special day…

What are your favourite ‘patriotic’ songs?

Looking forward to your music picks in comments…