# When is the national anthem played in your country?



## Chazzwozzer

When is the national anthem played in your country?

Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?

Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?

Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?


----------



## DCPaco

In Mexico according to the Law of the Coat of Arms, Flag, and National Anthem ("*LEY SOBRE EL ESCUDO, LA BANDERA Y EL HIMNO NACIONALES*"), 
all educational facilities (primary, secondary, and higher) shall honor the flag on Monday before school starts or at a set time on Monday morning, as well as at the beginning and end of the scholastic year. (The rite of honoring the flag consists of a ceremony involving the pledge and the national anthem. At many elementaries, the children have a special uniform [generally all white] to wear for when this rite is taking place.)  The children are taught the lyrics and do sing along.

(Also, on Mexican TV at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day they play the National Anthem.)​


----------



## ireney

Outside sports events (with the national team or athletes competing for Greece) and some formal occasions where I am sure it is played, I _think_ you can also hear it at the opening and closing of the program of the public (state owned) TV stations but I am not sure. It used to be true, that I know . 
At school I don't remember hearing even on national holidays really. While people are supposed to sing along it is not truly mandatory. You obviously have to show respect to our and any other national anthem you hear but that's also more of a guideline than a rule.
All in all we don't get to hear it all too often without, as far as I know, any effect on our patriotism


----------



## Chazzwozzer

I have another question for you guys: *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*


ireney said:


> All in all we don't get to hear it all too often without, as far as I know, any effect on our patriotism


How do Greeks feel about the _Hymn to Liberty_?


DCPaco said:


> At many elementaries, the children have a special uniform [generally all white] to wear for when this rite is taking place.​


Do they have to change their clothes for the ceremony every Monday morning?


DCPaco said:


> The children are taught the lyrics and do sing along.


 Are they also forced to sing along?


----------



## federicoft

In Italy it is not played at school nor any other public place except:

-Sporting events
-In the military
-Formal State ceremonies 
-Party conventions, public rallies etc.
-In theatres, universities and such, if the President of the Republic is attending 

It is also played by national radio and TV stations at the beginning and end of each day.

No one is required to sing along (although most do) nor to behave in some particular way when the national anthem is played. 
Of course you are required to stand and show respect to _any_ national anthem, regardless of whose country they are.


----------



## sokol

In Austria the situation is quite similar to Italy: only on very formal occasions the national anthem is played, and then of course at sports events (national matches in football where the hymns of both teams are played, and on other events the hymn is played for the winner only).

Certainly you (almost) never sing the hymn in school or university.

If politicians don't sing the hymn on the occasions when it is played this generally is not considered as being unpatriotic; this is more a matter of choice. The same goes for athletes. Some prefer just to listen with solemnity, others enjoy to sing: and both is okay.

As for that one:


Chazzwozzer said:


> *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*


There's an interesting example: of the lyrics of the German hymn, the 'Deutschlandlied', although consisting of three stanzas, is supposed to be sung *only with the third one *as the other two, especially the first one, are ... ahem: a little bit undiplomatic and not very friendly towards, for example, us Austrians. (You may google for yourself. ;-)

Therefore only the third stanza is part of the German hymn.
If Germans sing the first and second stanza too, or only the first one, then this may signify that they are right wing, probably even right wing extremists.
And I _think _that in Germany it wouldn't be considered unpatriotic at all not to sing the text of the hymn: because of the less-than-diplomatic verses [the third one though, which is the only one supposed to being sung, is rather neutral] this may even be considered patriotic behaviour for what I know.


----------



## Kibramoa

To add to DCPaco's post:

In Mexico, at the school I attended, we had a uniform that was used on Mondays, you came to school on your Monday uniform and wore it all day.  The rest of the week you used a different uniform.   
Kids do have to sing the anthem. Teachers walk to check that you are singing.  Usually the short version of the anthem (2-3 stanzas and the chorus) is sung.  However, when I was in middle school we had to learn all the complete version (10 stanzas) and were tested on it for our civics class. 

Most people understand that the Anthem was written in the 1850's and it reflects the thinking of the time: a new independent nation who had fought to earn it.


----------



## estro

*In the UK:*

Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? *No, never, at least not in state schools.*

Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off? *Not anymore, but they used to do it on the BBC until about 15 years ago, I think.*

Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema? *If you mean at the end of a peformance/film, no, but many years ago I think it was.

What fedicroft and sokol have said about Italy and Austria, **more or less applies to the UK too.

*


----------



## ireney

Chazzwozzer said:


> I have another question for you guys: *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*



Free speech. 



> How do Greeks feel about the _Hymn to Liberty_?



Well, you have to remember that most do not even know the whole, quite extensive poem. The official national anthem is just the two first stanzas. People in general like it as far as I know. Some kids (including myself) making fun of it on a regular basis at elementary school but in general I'd say we're rather proud of it.


----------



## tvdxer

Chazzwozzer said:


> When is the national anthem played in your country?



Probably most often before sporting events begin.



> Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?



Students probably learn it at sometime during the academic career, but the "exercise in patriotism" is usually the pledge of allegiance, which is recited together by the class (students with objections can opt out).  But this is not done by all schools.  I remember saying it during my elementary years mainly.



> Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?



Traditionally, yes.  Often with patriotic images.



> Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?



No.  At least not usually.


----------



## Flaminius

federicoft said:


> In Italy it is not played at school nor any other public place except:
> 
> -Sporting events
> -In the military
> -Formal State ceremonies
> -Party conventions, public rallies etc.
> -In theatres, universities and such, if the President of the Republic is attending
> 
> It is also played by national radio and TV stations at the beginning and end of each day.


The practise in Japan is very similar to that in Italy.  If national anthem is played for "[p]arty conventions, public rallies etc.", however, I understand the political inclination of such a gathering is very very right-winged; not that I see too many of them.

Japanese schools up until high school offer  curriculum in three academic terms, which begin and end with all-school ceremonies.  Public schools (public in non-BE sense, that is) are instructed by the Ministry of Education's directives to make sure students stand up and sing along.  This has been the cause of enormous frictions between lay teachers and school administrations such as headmasters and education boards.   After a 1999 legislation formally instituted that _Kimigayo_ is the national anthem of Japan, education boards can punish teachers who do not make students sing or do not sing themselves.

I attended a private school (pre-1999) that did not even play _Kimigayo_ but I am not sure what is obliged and allowed to private schools today.


> Of course you are required to stand and show respect to _any_ national anthem, regardless of whose country they are.


Unless you are a big sports fan, national anthems, including the Japanese one, hardly bother your life as an ordinary Joe.  I have heard of showing respects to national anthems in "more normal countries" but I have never had a chance to do so myself.



Chazzwozzer said:


> I have another question for you guys: *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*


I cannot speak for all Japanese but the majority do not take issues with those who consider it as a sacrilege and blackmail the author of a _Kimigayo_ parody or suppress from the market a jazz-arranged version.


----------



## Chaska Ñawi

In Canada, every school day begins with the national anthem broadcast over the intercom.  In our school we alternate between the English and French version on a weekly basis.  Whether or not the students sing depends on the teacher.... I sing, and expect the kids to sing too.

It is also played by all broadcast stations when signing on and off.

Sports games, but not usually other events, begin with the anthem.  It is expected that people will rise and remove their hats.  It used to be that one didn't hear many people actually singing along, but we seem to have hit a wave of patriotism lately.  I was quite surprised in January, when attending a hockey game, to hear the majority of the fans singing.

Every twenty years or so the words to O Canada are altered slightly.  This means that each generation sings a different version.  We're due for another alteration any time.


----------



## Broccolicious

Hi everyone

Just to add to Estro's post about the UK: it's a relevant question for us at the moment, because the government is thinking about introducing some kind of formal 'pledge of allegiance' for young people when they leave school. So far the suggestion has not been welcomed!

We also have a similar issue to the German national anthem, in that some of the verses of 'God Save the Queen' talk about the British Empire, so we don't sing those any more. And there are many people who won't sing it at all, because of anti-monarchy feelings. 

Finally, we have an interesting situation in that 'God Save the Queen' is the British national anthem, and while Wales and Scotland both have their own national anthems ('Land of our Fathers' and 'Flower of Scotland' respectively), England doesn't have one. So in sporting events, when England / Scotland / Wales compete against each other, it's tricky for the English! I think they have sung 'Jerusalem' in the past, and sometimes 'God Save the Queen' - but there are calls to choose our own national anthem. I can't imagine we'll ever agree on one, though!

K


----------



## ernest_

In Catalonia, our national anthem isn't played very much. It's not usually played on the radio or on the telly, nor sung at schools. And, mind you, if some Catalan wins a sporting competition, they'd not play the Catalan anthem, they'd play the Spanish one. So, here, we hear our national anthem on very few occasions. For example, if the president of our semi-autonomous government attends a football game, they might play the Catalan anthem before the kick off, but not always.

It's been suggested by members of the conservative Spanish-nationalist party that the lyrics of our national anthem should be changed, as they are "offensive" to the Spanish, or so they say, but it's not going to happen in the foreseeable future. And they are not offensive at all, they just remind us of how we lost our sovereignty, how we lost the war. Some would rather like us to forget about it and to think that we've always been Spanish since the dawn of time.


----------



## mgwls

Hello,

When is the national anthem played in your country?
In some schools it's played at the start of each school day, in others it's the Hymn to the Flag which is played instead and in some others none of them is played.
Before any ceremony the hymn is _always_ sung, also it's played before some international sport events.

Does everyone have to sing along?
Ideally, yes. It is especially stressed in elementary school. When in high school it's still desirable that it was sung by everyone, but nobody can force anybody into singing it if they don't want to.

Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?
I don't know, probably the public TV station does but I'm not sure of the others. However, at the start of a 'patriotic' day, such as Independence's Day, etc the Hymn is played, along with the flag being displayed on the screen.

Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?
I don't think so.

By the way, our hymn was also trimmed, for two reasons. The first one being that it was too large. The second being that some of the stanzas were quite aggressive towards our _madre patria_, Spain.

Saludos


----------



## Sakuraita_

Chazzwozzer said:


> When is the national anthem played in your country?


Every monday on the schools, when the President is going to speak on TV, official events, military ceremonies, and at the beginning of the New Year.



> Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?


As I wrote before, every school in the country has to sing it on mondays. And in my school, if you didn't sing, you were punished... 



> Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?


Not at all.



> Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?


No... thanks God!


----------



## CrazyArcher

Pretty much the same in Israel as it was said about Italy. No one is required to sing along. Some TV/radio stations play it at the beginning and the end of each day, but it's not a requirement.


----------



## Chazzwozzer

Sakuraita_ said:


> And in my school, if you didn't sing, you were punished...


What would the punishment be?


----------



## Nu971

In Thailand, the national anthem is palyed on 8.00am and 6.00pm. everyday on TV.
Then, all of primary,secondary and high school students gather in front of the national flag pole on 8am everyday and sing national anthem together, but this is not happened to university or college level. 
Moreover,the national anthem is played in the government offices as well. 

Thai people will stop walking when they hear this song in order to pay respect to the nation. 
It is also played in the teatre too. We will stand up to hear the national anthem and pay respect to the nation before film starts.


----------



## BeautifulMorenita

Chazzwozzer said:


> When is the national anthem played in your country?
> 
> Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?
> 
> Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?
> 
> Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?



-It's generally played before sporting events, at military appreciation events and at graduation ceremonies. 

-It's played as an exercise in patriotism but we usually emphasize the pledge of allegiance more often than the national anthem. The pledge is recited every morning at the school I work at. You have to stand up, but actually reciting it is optional. With the national anthem you don't have to sing but it's traditional to stand out of respect and remove your hat. With both you're supposed to put your right hand over your heart. 

-I know that the stations used to play it when they signed off but I don't know if they still do it.

-I've never seen it done, but I guess it's not impossible.


----------



## Pivra

Nu971 said:


> It is also played in the teatre too. We will stand up to hear the national anthem and pay respect to the nation before film starts.


 

no, thats just the royal anthem.. lol


----------



## barkley04

well, it is played at schools every morning and during official competitions in tunisia. It is not only a consolidation of our independence but it is also seen as an identity booster.


----------



## Dr. Quizá

It's played when a Spanish national sport team plays against a foreign national team (as it's done everywhere, as far as I know) and when the king attends some official events. I think that's all - fortunately.


----------



## shaloo

In India, the national anthem is not played as such, but it is sung; lead by a group or a choir and the audience also sings along.

We sing the national anthem at the end of all sport events, political speeches, school concerts or annual day celebrations and any such public event.

The Indian National Anthem was written by our Nobel Laureate - Rabindra Nath Tagore

*Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya Hey*
*Bharata Bhagya Vidhata*

*Punjaba Sindhu Gujarata Maratha*
*Dravida Utkala Vanga*

*Vindhya Himachala Yamuna Ganga*
*Uchchala Jaladhi Taranga*

*Tava Shubha Naame Jaagey*
*Tava Shubha Aashisha Maagey*
*Gaahe Tava Shubha Gaatha*

*Jana Gana Mangala Dayaka Jaya Hey*
*Bharata Bhagya Vidhata*

*Jaya Hey!*
*Jaya Hey!*
*Jaya Hey!*
*Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey....!*


----------



## V.W

Here in the US it is played at sporting events, almost all of them as I have seen. Other people have mentioned other places to that I can't recall.

But we have this thing called the pledge of allegiance I'd like to bring up (sounds a bit dubious, I know) which I am not sure other countries have. You are made to recite that in most public schools, maybe private ones as well. It involves standing, putting your hand on your heart, all that. I think it's ridiculous. It's not mandatory, so I just stand and don't do anything, but it would feel weird to not stand because almost everyone does. 

I'm actually glad, though, that the pledge is said in schools and not the actual anthem, because 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is hard to sing. Its pitch changes to much, and is hard for a non-singer to manage. Listen and you will see what I'm talking about; it is not very nice at all. 

It was even ripped off from 'God Save The Queen', which is a tad challenging itself, but of course we had to change it some, and the way we changed it was to make it unsing-able.


----------



## mal67

I thought it was _My Country 'Tis of Thee_ that was ripped off from _God Save the Queen_, not _The Star-Spangled Banner_?


----------



## Blue Butterflies

Hi.

*When is the national anthem played in your country?*
Sports events. We take great pride in our gymnasts, and the fact that you can hear our anthem quite often during the olympics and such. And, of course, football.
Diplomatic events. Important visits, a presidential address, parades, etc.
Soldiers must hear it a lot, I think.

*Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?*
The only time I remember we had to sing our anthem (after '89) in school was when we studied it in our literature class. We had to learn it by heart and talk about the symbols, and the next music classes were devoted to singing it. Oh, and at the beginning of each year, we sang it during the first music class. Otherwise, not really. Perhaps not all schools were like this, but I doubt the difference is significant.

We all sang it, yes. Since it was music class, singing was compulsory.

* Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?*
Back when TVR1 (that's the national television) wasn't 24/7, yes they did. I don't know if they do it now, but I suspect that the national radio broadcasting channels do.

* Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?*
Never heard of such a thing. But I didn't go to the cinema too often in my youth.


----------



## V.W

mal67 said:


> I thought it was _My Country 'Tis of Thee_ that was ripped off from _God Save the Queen_, not _The Star-Spangled Banner_?



Hmm, interesting, they are both kinda similar in my mind. But you're right, it was 'My Country Tis of Thee' that was ripped off. (Pssh, Wikipedia says 'derived') Sorry for being confusing, I am a bit confused myself. 
I still maintain, though, that the anthem is hard to sing.


----------



## Outsider

In Portugal, it seems to be the same thing as what Blue Butterflies said above about Romania. The national anthem is regularly played:

- in major _international_ sports events (mostly football/soccer), where the anthems of both countries are played;
- in official ceremonies where the government or the armed forces are present.

It used to be played on state TV when they signed off, but nowadays I believe they broadcast continuously, and don't do it anymore.

It is never played in theatres.

I learned the national anthem at school, in music class, but that was the only place where we ever sung it growing up. We were not required to sing or listen to the anthem at school on a regular basis. I went to public school; it's possible that in some private schools they did sing the anthem, but I have no idea.


----------



## Etcetera

Hola a todos!

I suppose that the typical citizen of Russia normally hears the national anthem on New Year night, right after the president's speech. 



> Is it played to students as an exercise in patriotism/nationalism? If yes, how often is it played a week? Does everyone have to sing along?


No, thanks to God. I think most people don't know the words of the anthem, and as for me, I find them bad poetry. 



> Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?


No idea. I don't watch TV at all.



> Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?


No. Never.



Chazzwozzer said:


> I have another question for you guys: *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*


It will depend, I think. Elderly people may see it dishonourable not to accept the national anthem. Young people are more tolerant in such matters. 

I've never heard anyone saying that they disagree with the lyrics of the anthem. More often, they say that they dislike it. The point is that for about a decade the Russian anthem was _Patriotic Song_ by Mikhail Glinka, and there were no words in it. In 2000, a new anthem was written by Sergei Mikhalkov, the author of the most long-lasting Soviet anthem. 

Naturally, the new anthem was gladly accepted by elder generation, but quite a lot of people disliked it - some just because it was too much alike its Soviet predecessor. And the new anthem was seen by many as a sign of a return to the USSR.


----------



## Outsider

Oh, I missed the other question!



Chazzwozzer said:


> I have another question for you guys: *What if anyone said he disagreed with the lyrics of the national anthem? What would people think? Would they think it's a sign of treason or a matter of free speech?*


My guess: they would think that person was some sort of eccentric. Or perhaps a monarchist, since the current Portuguese anthem was instituted by the republicans, to replace the old anthem of the monarchy. (There's a monarchist party in Portugal, and sometimes they speak of changing our flag, for the same reason.) Note that the Portuguese anthem was originally a part of a musical, so it would be a little odd to think of changing its lyrics. Would you change the lyrics to _Cats_ just like that?


----------



## rina_2507

In Singapore, the national anthem is sung daily before school starts at around 7.20am for the morning session in primary and secondary schools and at around 6.30 pm when school ends. Besides that, we say our national pledge daily too! As the national anthem is in malay and not in english, and Singapore is a multi-racial country, certain people would have difficulty remembering the exact words, but singing it is a pretty routine thing here. Everyone knows the song or at least the tune... well, they _should_ anyway!The anthem is also played before a local television channel starts each day.


----------



## b00nish

In Switzerland you'll usually only hear the national anthem before an international sports game.

They don't play it every day or week in school or something like this.
But in lower school grades you'll probably learn it the music class.

(Personally I'm not a big fan of the lyrics. It's all about god and I don't think that god has much to search in the state)


----------



## Cracker Jack

In my country, the national anthem is always played before the start of any cultural and school program, at sign-on and sign-off times for radio and tv stations.  In elementary and high schools, a flag ceremony is held every Monday at start of the day.


----------



## balasang

In addition to Cracker Jack's info, the national anthem is also played in movie theaters, before the first and last showing


----------



## mallujulia

In Spain we used to hear the national anthem when the TV  signed off at about midnight, but that was about 20 years ago. Now they don't play it any more and I've never heard it on the radio.We hear it when a Spaniard wins an international competition,or when our national teams play in an international competition ( Olimpic games and so on) we also hear it when there is a military parade ( in the army they are constantly playing it: when someone dies, when a General pays a visit, when there has been a terrorist attack and there's an official ceremony...etc) or when the King and Queen of Spain are at a formal ceremony,meeting Presidents from other countries.
We can't sing our anthem even if we wanted because it just has music. Not long ago some sports associations asked the government to write the lyrics because when the anthem was played before a football match , for example, all the teams sang their anthem but we couldn't.So, perhaps, in the near future we will be able to sing it. 
When the anthem is played most people show respect, and remain silent, and we try not to move a lot. 
Children do not learn the national anthem at school . You hear it when Spain plays a football match or when Fernando Alonso wins a race. We don't have a special subject at school to teach children these things. 
The national anthem is played when a Spanish team or a Spanish citizen wins  a medal , or a match or whatever. SOme counties, parts of Spain have their own language, flag, or anthem but in spite of all that , they are part of Spain ( so far) that's why they normally have to hear the Spanish anthem . Some are proud of that, some are not. We should accept all the opinions.


----------



## Nu971

Pivra said:


> no, thats just the royal anthem.. lol


 
oh..that's right! I am confused! 
Thanks, Pivra.. to correct me


----------



## Outsider

This thread made me curious, so I asked my mother if the national anthem used to be played regularly in Portuguese schools during the fascist period. She said it wasn't, either.

I suspect that the reason is easy to guess, and interesting. The current Portuguese anthem was made official by the 1st. Republic. Although the fascists never tried to replace it with another, it seems likely that they did not like it, since it was associated with democracy. It may well have been out of spite that they never promoted the anthem very actively. Thanks to this thread I've learned something new about my country!


----------



## aaspraak

In Norway the national anthem "Ja vi elsker dette landet" (yes we love this country) is played and sung all over the country the 17 of May each year. Most people know the first verse and many know the last two as these are usually sung. Very few know all eight verses. 

It is also played in television and radio when the king and prime minister has speeches at new year. And of course it is played if a Norwegian wins some international sporting event.

If anyone don't like the text they can say so. At least one silly "alternate" version exists: "Ja vi elsker kjøtt og pølser..."  (yes we love meat and sausages...).


----------



## javier8907

In Spain it's only played in the very few cases other people have said, and it has no official lyrics. But, if one wants to sing it for whatever purpose, the established lyrics are:

"Chunta, chunta, ta chunta chunta chunta-ta-ta..." From here on, versions differ.

In fact, I think the Government put words to the anthem last year, but nobody learned them and I think they've finally removed them.

Of course, we also have silly versions, but they have not at all as much currency as the one I've just mentioned. In fact, we also have a version from the Fascist times, which is the only lyrics ever to have been official for some time.

As for how much respect is paid to the national anthem, I can't tell, as I've never attended a 'live performance' -never been to a match with the national team, or to a military parade, well, I saw a rehearsal weeks ago, but they didn't play it, but I don't think people will stop walking or anything like that.


----------



## la zarzamora

mgwls said:


> Hello,
> 
> When is the national anthem played in your country?
> In some schools it's played at the start of each school day, in others it's the Hymn to the Flag which is played instead and in some others none of them is played.
> Before any ceremony the hymn is _always_ sung, also it's played before some international sport events.
> 
> Does everyone have to sing along?
> Ideally, yes. It is especially stressed in elementary school. When in high school it's still desirable that it was sung by everyone, but nobody can force anybody into singing it if they don't want to.
> 
> Do television stations play it when they sign on and sign off?
> I don't know, probably the public TV station does but I'm not sure of the others. However, at the start of a 'patriotic' day, such as Independence's Day, etc the Hymn is played, along with the flag being displayed on the screen.
> 
> Is it ever played in a theatre or a cinema?
> I don't think so.
> 
> By the way, our hymn was also trimmed, for two reasons. The first one being that it was too large. The second being that some of the stanzas were quite aggressive towards our _madre patria_, Spain.
> 
> Saludos


 
I am 38 years old and I remember, when I was a child, that we were at the movies and the national anthem was played. I suppose it was some kind of national holiday, because we went to the movies quite often and that is the only time I remember hearing it. Everybody stood up but I found that extremely ridiculous so I did not. But my dad made me stand up so I had to. 
I still do not understand the attitude most people display when hearing our national anthem. If it was "La Marseillaise" or "Home of the brave"... those two always bring a tear or two to my eyes. Of course it also depends how it is sung, the feeling behing it. A national anthem should be about pride for the past and for the future. So if there is no pride, the anthem flops.


----------

