[yabbadabbadoo]

Just wondering what you normally do on ANZAC day? We don"t normally do anything much, unless it is a long weekend and we are away. One of DS's friend's parents was talking about having his birthday party that day and I couldn't decide if I thought it was inappropriate or nor. I guess I would've ok with it in the afternoon, but perhaps not so ok with it if it was in the morning. Do you have strong feelings about ANZAC day?

[ampersand]

I don't find it inappropriate at all. Presumably they're not planning to hold it during the dawn service. None of the ex-servicemen in my family would even blink at the idea.

[SCARFACE CLAW]

I think that's fine, though preferably in the afternoon (as the services / parades are in the morning, and gives people a chance to visit the cemetery etc). Around here the shops open at Midday I think, so I guess after that anything goes

[Tea-Rex]

I'm going interstate to watch my dad march in the parade.
then we'll probably find ourselves drunk by lunchtime on the
RAAF base that I grew up on.

[Fez83]

It's my DD1's 7th birthday so we are going ten pin bowling with a few school friends and family

[Dinosaurus]

Fine for the afternoon.

I know a lot of people go to the parades with kids, which I think is important but there's no reason not to get together with friends too.

[Sassy Girl]

I do find it inappropriate and disrespectful then again I am the Grand Daughter of a veteran that was lucky enough to survive being a POW on the Burma Thai Railway and also Changi.

We will be at a Anzac Day march this year as we are every year. If my children were ever invited to a party on Anzac Day I'd be declining the invitation with an explanation that I think it's disrespectful to the Old Diggers.

I also think shops opening after the March is extremely disrespectful. What is wrong with having the whole day to pay respect to the men and women that lost their lives and/or freedom so that we have freedom

This post has been edited by Sassy Girl: 13/04/2012, 07:01 AM

[Mrs Manager]

I don't find it disrespectful, though I can understand why some do, and I do have a lot of respect for the diggers.

We always find a game of 2up on ANZAC day... its fun and a nice way to soak up some of the vibe

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

We normally attend a bit of a family reunion and participate in a dawn service and march. This year we'll be staying at home as DS isn't up for the travel (7 hour drive), although we may be going to a friend's place for a catch up BBQ.

In future years we'll be continuing with this family tradition, and one year when DS is older we'll probably stay in Sydney and attend the service in Martin Place

I don't think having a birthday party is disrespectful, and my grandfather was a WWII veteran and attended the big march in Sydney every year until he was physically unable. I know a lot of people who treat ANZAC day as just another public holiday and a great excuse to start their drinking in the morning - I find that far more disrespectful

[~Elphaba~]

I always go to the dawn service.

I spend the day doing whatever I want to, and enjoying the freedoms all the vets fought to give us. I raise a glass to the fallen, the wounded, and the safely returned.

And I am also a great granddaughter of a vet who went through hell, and daughter of a Vietnam vet who won't talk about it. Ever. And I'm ex military myself.