Seniors and Social Isolation: A Complex Issue 1

 Social isolation can be defined as less social contact than an individual wish and that may lead to negative outcomes such as poor health loneliness or other emotional distress.

As the proportion of older people in the population increases and more life alone, the problem of social isolation among this age group is a growing concern (World Health Organization 2002). It is widely accepted that social support has a strong protective effect on health. The prevailing belief, as stated by the World Health Organization, is that social isolation and exclusion are associated with “increased rates of premature death, lower general well-being, more depression, and a higher level of disability from chronic diseases”. This is echoed by studies that show social isolation has predictors such as poor perceived health, a higher number of chronic illnesses and compromised mental health.

Seniors clearly value their social relationships as those 65 and over “consistently rank relationships with family and friends second only to health as the most important area of life”. Not all socially isolated seniors experience negative consequences, and some seniors may prefer to be alone and do not experience loneliness. This statement, found in the literature review “Social Isolation Among Seniors: An Emerging Issue, An Investigation by the Children’s, Women’s and Seniors Health Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Health, March 2004”, points out that social isolation is not a straightforward issue and those providing services cannot make easy assumptions about causes or relationships. The investigative review provides an in-depth look at seniors and isolation and is helpful for those who want a greater understanding of the prevalence of social isolation in older persons, its risk factors and the relationship between isolation and loneliness in seniors.

A research review of seniors, isolation, and best practises in service provision designed to address social isolation, supporting seniors' strengths, enhancing social networks, removing barriers to social participation and fostering social inclusion will have positive impacts for both the individual and society.

The researchers studied Canadian data to profile individual and social characteristics and situations that make seniors vulnerable to isolation. Their profile of seniors most likely to experience social exclusion indicated that they:

·        Are older

·        Live in urban areas

·        Have no partner

·        Have activity limitations due to health

·        Were born outside of Canada

·        Have lower levels of education

The investigation by the Children's, Women's and Senior's Health Branch of the British Columbia Ministry of Health: Social Isolation Among Seniors: An Emerging Issue, supports the above and provides some further considerations about factors relating to social isolation and loneliness including:

·        Gender: women's tendency to outlive male partners and other family members and their role as caretakers place them at greater risk, however when studies controlled for the additive risk factors that disproportionately affect women, several studies found the opposite: that greater loneliness was expressed by men

·        Loss of a spouse or “intimate relationship” is a strong determinant of both loneliness and

·        Aging: several researchers have found loneliness to be a correlate of aging itself and that there was a gradual increase in loneliness until age 90 and then it levelled off

·        Transportation Issues: driving status and transportation have an effect on loneliness and social isolation of the elderly because they facilitate access to the social network.

These factors, while they help shine a light on seniors who are vulnerable to isolation, should not be considered as definitive causes. The authors cite a “chicken and egg” effect between isolation and the risk factors and emphasize that risk factor is just that – factors that may put someone at risk of loneliness or isolation.

A look back to some holidays we may have missed. February

February is a month where there is not a lot happening. But it does have its share of holidays and celebrations.

February 1    Fireworks, dragons, lions, and Nian Gao all signify the start of Chinese New Year. This is one of the most important holidays in China. It’s observed all over the world. Similar celebrations occur in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.

Most Chinese holidays follows the lunar calendar, so the date varies from year to year. The Chinese New Year always occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, though on occasion it has been the third new moon. A long time ago, the emperor determined the start of the New Year. Today, celebrations are based on Emperor Han Wu Di’s almanac. It uses the first day of the first month of the Lunar Year as the start of Chinese New Year. Each year has a ruling animal based on the Chinese Zodiac.

February 1 Tết Nguyên Đán, often referred to simply as Tet, is the Vietnamese New Year. The New Year does not fall on the same date each year, although it’s always in January or February. There are similar celebrations in China, Japan, and Korea known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.

The holiday in Vietnam is officially three days, but is often celebrated for seven. Tet is regarded as one of the most important Vietnamese holidays. Tết Nguyên Đán literally means the first morning of the first day of the new period. It’s believed that the course of these few days will determine the path of the coming year. People stop their quarreling, children vow to behave, and families make special efforts to gather together.

Prior to the celebrations, homes are cleaned and painted. Cleaning during Tet is avoided so the good luck will not be “swept away.” New clothes are purchased, and old debts are paid. People go to church or the pagoda and make offerings to the Kitchen God. Homes are decorated with bonsai trees and flowers, and kumquat trees are brought into the home. These trees represent the family and the hope of good fortune in the new year. Trees are selected with care to ensure the leaves are healthy and that there is ripe fruit as well as green fruit ready to ripen.

Homes are also decorated with the yellow apricot blossoms of the Hoa Mai in the south, while the rosy peach blossoms of the Hoa Dao are used in the North. The blossoms represent the spirit of Tet. They symbolize prosperity and well-being for the family. It’s believed that the longer the blossoms last the more prosperous the family will be in the coming year.

During Tet, the Kitchen God departs the home to report on the family. To help protect the home during the absence of the Kitchen God, families erect a Cay Neu, a “New Years’ Tree.” A bamboo pole is planted in front of the home, all the leaves are removed, except a few at the top The tree is decorated with red paper. Red has long been associated with warding off evil spirits. The Cay Neu is taken down on the seventh day of Tet.

Deceased relatives are remembered during Tet. Families build alters with photographs, flowers, incense, money, and food. People also visit the gravesites of their deceased loved ones.

At midnight on the New Years’ Eve, Le Tru Tich is held. The spirits of the old year are rushed out and the new spirits are welcomed. The streets are chaotic with everyone banging gongs and sounding off noisemakers to scare evil spirits away. Prior to 1995, firecrackers were set off by almost everyone, but in 1995 the government banned fireworks because the cost was financially prohibitive, and the injury rate was soaring.

February 2 Groundhog Day is the United States version of Candlemas. Some countries believed that a burrowing animal, usually a hedgehog, would come out on this day to judge the quality of the weather. This tradition came with settlers to the New World. There were no hedgehogs to be found, but there were lots and lots of groundhogs. Thus, Groundhog Day was born.

Valentine’s Day gets mixed into this holiday as well. This is from the old calendar and all of the haphazard rearranging it succumbed to. Vance Randolf, an Ozark folklorist, stated that the “old-timers” used to celebrate Groundhog Day on February 14.

Though Groundhog Day has been around a long time, the idea of looking at a burrowing animals’ reactions to the weather is an even older custom.

According to tradition, if the animal sees its shadow, it’s a sign there will be six more weeks of bad weather or a “second winter” and it scurries back into his hole. However, if it doesn’t see his shadow, he comes out to stay. So, on a cloudy day it would not see a shadow and would thus know spring is coming.

If the groundhog sees his shadow

we will have six more weeks of winter.

Settlers in Pennsylvania were of German descent. The groundhog is abundant in these parts and the settlers decreed this creature would be the weather predictor of record. The most famous of all the groundhogs lives in Punxsutawney.

In the 1880s, a group of friends went out on Candlemas Day in search of a groundhog. This trip quickly became tradition, and the local newspaper dubbed the group “The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.” In 1887, the search turned into an official event and the groundhog became known as Punxsutawney Phil. Phil makes his yearly appearance to predict the weather, which is televised and announced on the radio.

Today good ol’ Punxsutawney Phil makes his home in a climate-controlled “burrow” that is next to the Punxsutawney Library. Phil even became a movie star in 1993 when the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray opened.

Punxsutawney Phil is not the only weather predicting animal of note however there is also:

·        Pothole Pete in New York City

·        Birmingham Bill in Birmingham, Alabama

·        Buckeye Chuck in Marion, Ohio

·        General Beauregard Lee in Georgia

·        Unadilla Bill in Nebraska

·        French Creek Freddy in West Virginia

·        Shubenacadie Sam in Canada, and

·        Wiarton Willie, Canada’s albino groundhog

·        there’s even Claude the Cajun Crawfish in Louisiana, if he “waves his claws toward the sun, he is signaling the cold spell will come to an end.”

February 14 Technically, it’s St. Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day has three possible origins: Lupercalia, the death of Saint Valentine, and the mating habits of birds. In all likeness, it’s a blending of all three.

The Feast of Lupercalia, also known as Februata, was an ancient pagan festival in Rome. Lupercalia honored Lycaeus, the wolf mother of Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome). Young men and women would pull names, then spend the day enjoying the company of the person whose names they pulled. They were allowed freedom to do whatever they wanted with each other.

 Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine or rather a Saint Valentine. The Catholic Church actually recognizes three different saints all named Valentine (or Valentinus), and all of whom were martyred. There are many myths and legends told of these saints, but nothing conclusive. One St. Valentine, known as Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome, is the patron saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, epilepsy, against fainting, happy marriages, love, and plague.

Another Saint Valentine was believed to be beheaded on February 14th. Legend tells that during the Roman Empire, Emperor Claudius II (known as Claudius the Cruel) stopped allowing couples to marry. He felt that their hearts belonged to him and the wars he waged and that love, and marriage would only cloud their judgment. A priest named Valentine secretly married lovers. He was caught and sentenced to death. While in prison awaiting execution, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. In his final letter to her he signed, “From your Valentine.”

And lastly, there was a medieval belief that birds selected their mates on February 14. People began associating love and marriage with this date with the idea that “every bird chooses a mate this day.”

Today, people give flowers, candy, cards, and jewelry to their sweethearts. A candlelight dinner at home or at a romantic restaurant is also popular. Children and families celebrate too. Children make hearts and valentine crafts in school to bring to their moms and dads, and the family might have a special dinner and celebrate the love that keeps them together.

The number of cards sent on Valentine’s Day places second only to Christmas-New Year cards. Card giving goes back to when English settlers first arrived in the United States. It was against the law to display affection in public. Giving cards was a way to show one’s affection without doing something “illegal” as well as avoiding public ridicule.

February 21 Historically, Presidents Day celebrates the birthday of George Washington, the first American president. Washington was born February 11, 1731, by the Old-Style dates. Under the Julian calendar the date is February 22. In 1879, Congress created a federal holiday for offices in Washington D.C. The holiday was expanded to encompass all federal offices in 1885. With the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 (which went into effect in 1971) the observance of certain holidays moved to Mondays; Washington’s birthday was among them.

The change to Presidents Day was first considered in 1951 by the President’s Day National Committee, but the bill stalled in the Senate. An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act recommended changing the name as well, but when the bill was passed, the name didn’t change. Advertisers, however, preferred Presidents Day, it’s more succinct for sales. Presidents Day Sale rolls off the tongue much easier than George Washington’s Birthday Sale. Advertisers are also responsible for all the alternative spellings: Presidents’ Day, President’s Day, and Presidents Day.

The state dictates who are celebrated. Some celebrate Washington alone (i.e., Virginia and Massachusetts), while others celebrate Washington and Lincoln (such as Ohio and Utah). And then there are those that honor some other combination of presidents, for example Alabama celebrates Washington and Jefferson.

While federal offices get the day off of work on Presidents Day, for most people it’s just another Monday. Elementary schools often do projects and educate children about Washington and the US presidents in the week leading up to and/or the week following.

February 25 The Carnival of Brazil, known locally as Carnaval, is a four-day festival that proceeds Ash Wednesday. Celebrations vary from region of region. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Vitória, there are huge, organized parades. The northeastern cities of Recife, Olinda, Salvador, and Porto Seguro have organized parades as well, but the public interacts with paraders.

Carnaval is huge, drawing millions of people each year. Most places, except for retail establishments, carnival-related businesses, and industrial production close for the festivities.

A look back to some holidays we may have missed. March

March is the month when we start to come out of our winter blues with a vengeance.  On the first, we celebrate Madi Gras. Mardi Gras is a carnival celebration that begins on Twelfth Night (the Feast of Epiphany) on January 6 and culminates on the Tuesday before Lent. The best-known Mardi Gras is in New Orleans, Louisiana, where it’s a state legal holiday. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It’s the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The biggest events happen on this day. The name Fat Tuesday comes from an old custom of parading a fat ox through the streets of Paris on Shrove Tuesday.

Mardi Gras traditions are rooted in ancient Greek and Roman customs. Carnival in Rome became popular around the middle of the second century as a way to feast and act wild before the sombre days of Lent. They wore costumes and masks. They celebrated Bacchus and Venus and all things glutinous and pleasurable. The Bacchus parade is still held during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

March 2 Lent begins for those who are Christian. Lent is a penitential time with prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. It’s the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. During Lent, devote Christians fast by giving up decadent foods and/or luxuries.

On Mar. 03 Hina Matsuri (Hinamatsuri) is the Japanese Doll’s Festival. It’s also known as Momo-no-Sekku, the Peach Blossom Festival. This holiday used to follow the Lunar Calendar and fell closer to April when peach blossoms began to bloom. Though the trees no longer bloom during the festival, the peach blossoms are still an important decoration for this celebration.

The festival stems from the Heian period when people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. During a custom called Hina-nagashi (doll floating), straw Hina dolls in miniature boats were set adrift on the river to be taken out to sea, taking misery and hardships with them. The Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto still floats dolls on straw mats down the stream that runs through the temple grounds and prays for the safety of children.

Mar. 04:  The Zhonghe Festival, also known as the Blue Dragon Festival, is held on the first day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which occurs in February or March. It’s a celebration of the waking of the dragon that brings rain. It was an official festival in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

The Longtaitou Festival, also known as the Dragon-Raising-its-Head Festival, is held on the second day of the second month. It also celebrates the waking of the dragon and the bringing of rain.

The dragon was regarded as the rain deity. The Dragon King or Dragon God is the god of water and weather. He can take many forms. As the Blue Dragon, he is the god of the east and of the essence of spring.

Mar. 16: Purim This Jewish holiday marks the deliverance of the Jewish people during the days of King Xerxes of Persia. Also known as the Feast of Lots–Purim is the Hebrew word for “lots.” Purim occurs on the 14th day of Adar and on the 15th in the cities of Jerusalem. Adar is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar (February or March). As with all Jewish holidays, Purim begins at sundown.

According to the story, a young Jewish girl saves her people from annihilation and the malice of Haman. The story is contained in the Book of Esther, which is read in its entirety on Purim. When Haman’s name is read aloud everyone hisses, boos, and twirls their graggers to drown out the name. The story of Esther is the only book in the Bible that makes no reference to God (Christian or Persian) or religious observance of any kind.

Mar. 17 St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated everywhere on March 17th by both Irish and non-Irish people. Parades, the wearing o’ the green, and an Irish feast are all customary on this day. A typical American favourite “Irish” dinner is corned beef & cabbage. Another favourite meal is one that is all green, food that is naturally green and food that is tinted green with food colouring. This day is celebrated with parties, wearing green, consuming beer, and a whole lot of fun in America.

Cities do it up for St. Patrick’s Day too. In Dublin, the Greening of the City lights up iconic buildings in a green hue. In London, there’s a mile-long parade. New York has the oldest and biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the US. Chicago turns the Chicago River Green, using over 40 lbs. of green dye. Boston holds a large parade and most of the city's plentiful Irish bars have specials.

Mar. 18 Holi, Holika, or Holi for short, is the Hindu Festival of Color. This festival comes during the full moon in the Hindu month of Phagan, in February or March. It marks the end of the nippy winter months and the beginning of spring. It celebrates good over evil.

Holika was a demoness in Hindu scriptures, who was burnt to death with the help of God Vishnu. Holika had an annual bonfire the night before Holi. On Holi, one forgets their worries, and colour can be found everywhere

Mar. 20 Ostara, also known as Eostre, Eostar, and Eostre, celebrates the rebirth of the earth. It occurs at the time at the Spring Equinox (March 20 or 21 in the Northern hemisphere and September 22 or 23 in the Southern hemisphere). It celebrates the return of spring and the balance of light and dark. There are no ties to ancient customs. It’s celebrated by modern Wiccans as one of the lesser sabbats.

This day is also known as Lady Day and Summer Finding.

Mar. 21 Nowruz is the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year, lasts for thirteen days. It’s been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans. Marking the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar, it coincides with the vernal equinox, which varies year to year between March 19-22, though it usually falls on March 20 or March 21.

Nowruz is celebrated by diverse communities with different faiths as a secular holiday. However, it remains a holy day for Zoroastrians, Bahais, and some Muslim communities. 

February is a month where there is not a lot happening. Valentine’s day is come and gone, and people need a break from the winter blues. Many of us are just starting to realize that we spent way too much at Christmas and our great plans and resolutions made on New Year’s Day are a distant memory. 

A look back and forward to some holidays we may have missed. April

April 1^st The origin of April Fools Day is rather uncertain. However, the common belief holds that during the reformation of the calendar the date for the New Year was moved from April 1 to January 1. During that time in history, there was no television and no radio, so word spread slowly. There were also those who chose to simply ignore the change altogether and those who merely forgot. These people were considered “fools.” Invitations to non-existent parties and other practical jokes were played on them. Some suggest that the origin began with the celebrations of the Spring Equinox. While some believe it has to do a Roman festival known as Hilaria, the end of the Celtic new year.

“All Fools’ Day” is practiced in many parts of the world with practical jokes, hoaxes, and sending people on a fool’s errand. In Scotland, April Fools Day lasts 48 hours. Foolish people are called gowks, an extinct cuckoo bird. “Hunting the gowk” refers to a traditional prank played on foolish people. Day two is know as Taily Day, and pranks involving the posterior are played.

April 2 Also known as Ramazan and Ramadhaan, Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of the Holy Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and begins with the sighting of the crescent moon after a new moon. It’s observed with a month of fasting, giving alms, prayers, reading the Quran, abstaining from bad deeds, and staying humble.

In 610, Allah gave the first chapters of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It’s told that Muhammad was alone near Mecca when the Angel Gabriel came to him. The angel told Muhammad to read but Muhammad was unable to read. The angel taught Muhammad some verses over the next ten days. These verses are known as the Holy Quran.

The last ten days of Ramadan are a time of the greatest devotion. Some Muslims spend those days in a mosque. Lailat ul-Qadr or the Night of Power is the night that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad. It’s generally the 27th night of the month. It’s a night of blessings and mercy from Allah, sins are forgiven, and supplications are accepted.

The end of Ramadan is a joyous occasion known as Eid al-Fitr, typically lasting three days. Muslims are not allowed to fast this day. It’s celebrated with special prayers, feasts, sweets, and gift giving. Muslims in Turkey celebrate the end of Ramadan with Seker Bayrami, The Candy Festival. New clothes are worn, gifts are given, and families gather at the home of the eldest family member. Candy, small cakes, sweetened coffee, and fruits are served.

April 4 ands 5 The Cold Food Festival is known as the Hanshi Festival in China, the Hansik Festival in South Korea, and Tết Hàn Thực in Vietnam.

The Hanshi Festival, China. The Hanshi Festival is an ancient Chinese holiday that’s no longer celebrated. However, the activities and traditional foods have been incorporated into the Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Festival. The origin comes dates back to the 2nd century. It was taboo to start a fire during this time. During this time of year, the spring is dry, making things ignite easily. There was a ritual putting out last year’s fire for cooking, having no-fire days, and starting a new fire. The no-fire days lead to cold foods. Additional activities included visiting ancestral tombs, cockfighting, and beating blankets.

April 15 Passover or Pesach commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It’s observed from the 15th to the 22nd (eight days) of the Hebrew month of Nissan (March or April). During this time, leavened foods are avoided, and Seder meals include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

After decades of slavery, God sent Moses to the Pharaoh with a message, “Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me.” The Pharaoh paid no heed to this. In return, God sent ten plagues: water into blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, diseased livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. On the eve of the last plague, the Israelites marked their doors with lambs’ blood so that the avenging angel would “pass over” each Jewish household.

Pesach, which means to pass over, refers to this passing over on what is now Passover eve. The Pharaoh finally released his former slaves, chasing them out of the land. The Israelites left in such a hurry that the bread they baked as provisions did not have time to rise.

April 17 Easter is an important religious event for Christians. They celebrate the day that Jesus rose from the dead, three days after his crucifixion. It’s the culmination of events during Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday reflects the return of Jesus to Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Christ, and Good Friday remembers the crucifixion of Jesus. Easter Sunday celebrates his resurrection after his death. Easter falls on the first Sunday on or following the spring Equinox after the full moon (March or April, occasionally slipping into May for Eastern Orthodox). The date has been calculated in this way since 325 CE.

Many non-Christians also celebrate this holiday, focusing on ancient customs and traditions as well as welcoming spring. Easter, like Christmas, is a blend of paganism and Christianity. The word Easter is derived from Eostre (also known as Ostara), an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess. She symbolized the rebirth of the day at dawn and the rebirth of life in the spring.

Today, children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has hidden a basket filled with candy and toys. Children colour and decorate hard-boiled eggs either on Easter or the day before. Egg hunts are popular at home as well as community egg hunts at the local park. At home, the eggs made be the hard-boiled decorated eggs or plastic eggs filled with treats. Community egg hunts typically use plastic eggs or chocolate eggs spread out in a grassy area. Easter dinner is a feast with lamb, ham, fish and spring vegetables, potatoes, and special bread. Deviled eggs are a favoured appetizer. Easter brunch is also quite popular. Christians might also attend church services.

April 22 The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. The goal was to set aside one day to look at the environment we live in, promote ecology, and bolster awareness of global air, water, and soil pollution. Today over 140 countries participate in Earth Day.

US Senator Gaylord Nelson was the driving force behind this day after seeing the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA, in 1969. Inspired by the teach-ins dealing with the Vietnam War, the first Earth Day drew 20 million participants. The American Heritage Magazine called it “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy.”

On April 22, fairs and outdoor events are held to encourage people to help our planet thrive. Individuals make special efforts to conserve water, paper, and electricity.

Take time this day to learn what you can do to conserve energy and reduce, reuse, and recycle products in your neighbourhood. Although Earth Day is celebrated once a year, we encourage you to celebrate the gifts our planet has to offer every day from the little wildflower growing outside your home to the black sand beaches of Hawaii and the majesty of the giant sequoia and redwood trees.

April 25 ANZEC Day ANZAC is an acronym for Australia, New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day is a national day in Australia and New Zealand. Originally, it honoured those who fought in Gallipoli during World War I. Today, it honours all soldiers who have died in the war.

Great Britain joined the war against Germany on August 4, 1914. Australia sided with Britain and was ready to fight. In 1915, an attack was planned on Turkey through the Dardenelles with hopes of providing safe sea passage to Russia. The British Navy attacked first. They were defeated and casualties were high. Then, on April 25, 1915, the battered British soldiers, the French troops, and ANZAC stormed the shores of Gallipoli. The Turks were fierce and forewarned by the previous attack, but when the dust finally settled a foothold had been established at what is now known as the ANZAC Cove.

The two days that followed were bloody and savage as they held on to the foothold. After a brief reprieve, the fighting continued with heavy casualties on both sides. Finally, in December an evacuation was ordered.

 After eight months of fighting, ANZAC suffered a loss of 8,587 soldiers and 19,367 wounded. But with their heads held high the weary soldiers returned to Europe singing:

“We are the ragtime army the A.N.Z.A.C.

We cannot shoot, we won’t salute, what bloody use are we?”

Today, flags are flown at half-mast until noon, then they are raised high until the end of the business day. Wreaths of poppies are displayed at memorials. –During WWI the trenches could be seen across fields of brilliant poppies. Wearing a sprig of rosemary on your lapel or pinned over your heart symbolizes the commemoration of deceased soldiers.

Everyone partakes of an ANZAC biscuit or two.

ANZAC Biscuits

makes: 2-1/2 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1 cup rolled oats

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoon golden syrup (or dark corn syrup)

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, coconut, oats, ginger, and salt. Melt butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir the corn syrup and water into the butter. Stir butter/syrup mixture into the dry ingredients. Drop by the spoonful on to cookie sheets about 2″ apart. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.