ANZAC day was celebrated recently, I did my own bit by baking ANZAC biscuits, respecting the fallen through the medium of baked snacks. But aside from satisfying my appetite, it made me think; how powerful is food as a tool in making a day memorable?
Almost all major celebrations have some sort of associated food-type, think Thanksgiving (turkey), Easter (chocolate eggs), Birthdays (cake) etc.
So is this the 'spin'? And if so, does it take away from the celebration at all? Would your birthday be any less a day without cake or some sort of cake?
Does this mean that the power now lays in the hands of the cooks and bakers? As if celebrity chefs done have enough power, now they have the ability to define what we feel is important! The lesson here is obvious; if you see Jamie Oliver coming - run.
5 comments:
I am pleased to report that cake or absence thereof does not bovver me on my bday.
My 3-year old niece, however, would be DEVASTATED if there was no cake.
I guess I am just a little bit more sophis than her.
Dude
Just an observation... ANZAC day isn't really a celebration. It's a commemoration.
It is not a happy day.
It's a day when we, as Aussies and Kiwis, reflect on the sacrifices made on that Turkish beach all those years ago. We also remember all the fallen comrades that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we may have freedom.
Don't mean to rain on your parade, but the intent of ANZAC day is to give strength to our national identity through recognition of the commitments made by those before us.
B
B - this reminds me of my problem with Anzac Day. "Gave the ultimate sacrifice" in reality translates to "were total canon fodder" and "were victims of senseless carnage". The intent of the day should be to remember all those dead men and boys. I don't think our national identity should come into it.
Gervy
I do agree. The Gallipoli campaign was a waste of life and the Australian and New Zealand forces were used by pompous British commanders as simply that - cannon fodder.
The reason national identity comes into it is because the boys that survived that onslaught only survived because of a pivotal value in our culture... Mateship. A value that helped the sons of those diggers repel the Japanese on the Kokoda Track in World War 2.
I agree, we should weep for our youthful soldiers that were lost in those battles, but realise that they helped define parts of our culture that we now consider so important.
Hhm, mateship. Charles Bean would certainly have wanted you to take that view.
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