My 'Perfect Public Holiday' Nomination

My question to you.........

Which holiday can we honestly celebrate as being our own? A good old 'Kiwi Day?' A day to be proud of - perhaps even celebrate and have some NZ honours........... fly kites of peace, eat food specific to our nation - roast lamb or a BBQ, pavlovas, ANZAC biscuits (and recently Chelsea sugar published a recipe for ANZAC tart), close the shops for good - for the day so no-one misses a day off - and more importantly we celebrate the brotherhood of our unique country and all its cultures.

With so much animosity surrounding Waitangi Day - who wants to celebrate that? Waitangi Day was so long ago - in my opinion I feel we have paid 'some' of our dues perhaps not all - BUT how much more do 'we' keep paying out? And who's fault was it back then? The English for their mis-information? Or the Maoris for signing it and taking the easy option of guns, clothes and tobacco?

Whoever's fault - It is a 'was' or a 'has been'! Long gone........ But resonating into today. It gives many of us whose ancestors arrived on the shores of NZ at the turn of the century and were equally responsible for the shaping of the land, roads and industries - an ill feeling, a feeling of despair and disgruntlement. I sit on the fence and cringe unashamedly.

My partner is English and I am a Kiwi born Indian of three generations. What are we to think and feel?

War is cruel, war is harsh and war is unforgettable. BUT from every negative arises a positive, as one door closes another door opens, a 'low' is surely followed by a 'high?' And although many were lost at war in both WWI and WWII the goodness that could come from it is that we not only commemorate but celebrate the kinship and camaraderie of the Australian and New Zealand alliance.

Let's face facts - We love to hate the Aussies BUT if and when push comes to shove - there is no doubt in my mind that we would assist them as much as they would run to help us at any given time. We did it back then in both World Wars and we would do it again. Today we stand shoulder to shoulder and have peace keeping operations, and training sessions with each other. They are our best allies and our most loved foes. Any sporting competition eagerly awaits the arrival of the Aussies. We travel between the two countries without the bat of an eyelid. The love hate relationship is merely just that - sibling rivalry!They are our 'Big Bros' - Brothers in Arms really......

What greater day to celebrate and commemorate? I nominate ANZAC Day.

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