April 25th, or ANZAC Day (Australian New Zealand Army Corps), is a day of big celebration here in Australia.

It is a day to remember the group of armed forces from both Australia and New Zealand who served during WWI.

Australian culture is particularly proud of this day– school is cancelled, businesses close early, and all the locals gather in the city to celebrate.

Common traditions include memorial services, parades and special ANZAC cookies. I am fortunate enough to have an Australian roommate that makes these delicious cookies every year. The story behind them is that the wives all got together to bake and send them to the troops during the war. They are made with special ingredients to help them last quite a while. I highly recommend them. Here is a link to the recipe if you want to try your own: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/anzac-biscuits-i/.

Aside from the food, the festivities in the city were a great sight to see. People were heading into central Melbourne as early at 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic and get a jump start on the day. The parade included everything from little children playing instruments to military officers marching in uniform.

Although it obviously meant something different for me than it did for the Australians, it was a great experience for me to witness and be a part of as an international student.