NWR: National Anthem Etiquette

blabla89 · October 2014

Last night I went to a sporting event for the first time in quite a while. During the national anthem I noticed that a number of the men didn't remove their hats. Then afterward everyone applauded and FI gave me a look like "why aren't you clapping?"

Growing up I was taught that men are always supposed to remove their hats and that it's never appropriate to applaud after the national anthem. Has this gone by the wayside? Or is it more of a regional thing?

lyndausvi · October 2014

Not taking your hat off is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I have had to give stink eye to DH occasionally.

I've never heard you are not suppose to clap after the anthem. As soon as the anthem is over the players hit the field to get ready to play. So it could be for the anthem and to route for their team.

lurkergirl · October 2014

I signed in to type an answer, but @lyndausvi has it covered.

The guys should definitely remove their hats. (I also think they should always be removed when a guy walks inside, and should never be worn while eating! Cancer patients and ladies get a pass.)

I always assume the clapping happens to celebrate the start of the game, not the end of the song.

manateehugger · October 2014

H is one of those guys who will mutter unpleasant things about those who don't remove their hats during the national anthem. I don't disagree with him. The players always remove whatever head covering they have too, so it makes no sense not to do so at a sporting event.

I've heard don't clap, but applause doesn't bother me unless a color guard brought the flags in. I don't know the last time I've been to a sporting even where everyone hasn't clapped and cheered post national anthem.

lurkergirl · October 2014

scribe95 said:

They should definitely remove their hat. At sporting events I think it is very normal to clap afterward but not in school for instance.

Here's another one for you. Is it new that you now place your hand over your heart for the anthem? I have noticed this. I grew up doing that for the pledge but not the anthem.

I have never heard of not putting your hand on your heart during the anthem. I am 29, so I don't think it's new.

Maybe regional?

lyndausvi · October 2014

Now that I think of it, I've only heard clapping after the anthem at sporting events. Which leads me to believe it's really because the game is about to start and not about the anthem.

MobKaz · October 2014

I do not like when men keep their hats on during the anthem. I also do not like when parade watchers remain seated when color guards and/or armed forces march in front of the crowd.

My love/hate relationship with showing respect for the anthem happens during hockey season. For the past 20-30 years, at Blackhawk games, it has become tradition to cheer and yell as loud as possible throughout the duration of the anthem. The intent is respect, but I have always had mixed feelings about the way that respect is shown. However, if you witness it firsthand, it sends chills up your spine. No one sings it better than Jim Cornelison.

rsbloom · October 2014

Hats should ALWAYS be removed, male or female, for the national anthem. And yes, you are supposed to put your hand over your heart for that and the Pledge.

What I've started seeing at baseball games this year was people putting their hands over their hearts for songs like "America the Beautiful." I think that is strange.

doeydo · October 2014

Canadian here, but I was always taught to remove your hat during the national anthem and during any kind of memorial type thing (ie. when at a ceremony on Remembrance Day) as well as to stand still (no walking or going about your day), talking, or anything like that. I'm not sure about the clapping thing, though, if it was a little kid singing I would want to clap afterwards.

ETA Oh, and we don't do the whole hand over the heart thing.

bethsmiles · October 2014

I've never heard that you shouldn't clap after the national anthem. I agree with PPs that I think the clapping is more for the start of the game than the end of the national anthem.

As for putting your hand over your heart, it's not a regional thing, you are supposed to face the flag at put your hand over your heart during the national anthem. If there is no flag you face forward with your hand over your heart.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301

huskypuppy14 · October 2014

rsbloom said:

Hats should ALWAYS be removed, male or female, for the national anthem. And yes, you are supposed to put your hand over your heart for that and the Pledge.

What I've started seeing at baseball games this year was people putting their hands over their hearts for songs like "America the Beautiful." I think that is strange.

If it's a sporting event, yes both men and women should remove their hats.

I am not really up on hat etiquette because I don't ever wear hats. My husband wears a hat a lot, and I think the don't wear a hat inside, is not really a thing anymore. When I was in HS kids could wear hats. People wear hats all the time in malls and places like that. Why do men have to remove their hats and not woman. Men are supposed to remove their hat when a woman walks in the room too, but people don't do that anymore.

I have always seen hand over heart for pledge and the anthem. However, it is not disrespectful to not put you hand over your heart. You can stand with your hands behind your back or at your side too.

huskypuppy14 · October 2014

I think the clapping at sporting events is both for the game about to start, and to applaud the person who sang the national anthem.

doeydo · October 2014

bethsmiles said:

I've never heard that you shouldn't clap after the national anthem. I agree with PPs that I think the clapping is more for the start of the game than the end of the national anthem.

As for putting your hand over your heart, it's not a regional thing, you are supposed to face the flag at put your hand over your heart during the national anthem. If there is no flag you face forward with your hand over your heart.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301

Oh yeah. My geography teacher made us do that, but the rest of my homerooms through school just made us face the front. Other than that, never heard of having to face a certain direction during the anthem.

theartistformerlyknownas · October 2014

I was taught that you always remove your hat, put your hand over your heart (unless in uniform), and face the flag -respectfully silent - for the duration of the anthem. (Two military parents.) I was never told not to applaud the anthem, and it doesn't bother me when/if people do, EXCEPT when they start cheering after the damn high note on "free" and keep hooting and hollering through the end of the song. No. STFU til it's over, you heathens.

Moiramab · October 2014

lolo883 said:
I was taught that you always remove your hat, put your hand over your heart (unless in uniform), and face the flag -respectfully silent - for the duration of the anthem. (Two military parents.) I was never told not to applaud the anthem, and it doesn't bother me when/if people do, EXCEPT when they start cheering after the damn high note on "free" and keep hooting and hollering through the end of the song. No. STFU til it's over, you heathens.

EXACTLY the same. Military dad. You stay silent until then end, no shouting at all - the first Dallas Stars game my dad went to I thought he was going to have a heart attack, the whole rink yells "STARS!" at the same time during the lyrics ("Whose broad stripes and bright stars").

The hand over the heart though I'd never done or seen done until we got to Texas, except during the national anthem in school, so I'm a bit split on that.

bethsmiles · October 2014

huskypuppy14 said:

rsbloom said:

Hats should ALWAYS be removed, male or female, for the national anthem. And yes, you are supposed to put your hand over your heart for that and the Pledge.

What I've started seeing at baseball games this year was people putting their hands over their hearts for songs like "America the Beautiful." I think that is strange.

If it's a sporting event, yes both men and women should remove their hats.

I am not really up on hat etiquette because I don't ever wear hats. My husband wears a hat a lot, and I think the don't wear a hat inside, is not really a thing anymore. When I was in HS kids could wear hats. People wear hats all the time in malls and places like that. Why do men have to remove their hats and not woman. Men are supposed to remove their hat when a woman walks in the room too, but people don't do that anymore.

I have always seen hand over heart for pledge and the anthem. However, it is not disrespectful to not put you hand over your heart. You can stand with your hands behind your back or at your side too.

It's leftover from when women used to wear hats they had pinned to their hair so it would have been a huge pain in the ass for them to remove them and put it back on because it wasn't as simple as just taking it on and off. Plus, the old thing of somehow showing more of your head was going to cause lustful thoughts and distract men from focusing on the national anthem or pledge.

WinstonsGirl · October 2014

We do the anthem (Canadian) every morning at my school. Everyone is expected to stop what they're doing, stand and face the flag is there is one. Hat's aren't an issue, cos they're not allowed in class. No one claps, but we sure do during hockey games. I think it's more about getting the crowd riled up for the game though.

I have to say though, I hate that we do the anthem every morning. The kids hear it so much that it's lost meaning for them. They started by being proud, but after 5 years of hearing it every day, it's just something the kids have to wait through before classes start. They roll eyes, try to whisper to friends or just look bored. It started when a vocal minority of our parents wanted it played cos they felt we needed more national pride (why??). Now, our kids have less pride about it cos they don't care anymore. Days with assemblies get it once in the morning and once to start the assembly. I really feel that if we did it once a week (Mondays, for example), kids would take more pride in hearing it.

kmmssg · October 2014

lolo883 said:

I was taught that you always remove your hat, put your hand over your heart (unless in uniform), and face the flag -respectfully silent - for the duration of the anthem. (Two military parents.) I was never told not to applaud the anthem, and it doesn't bother me when/if people do, EXCEPT when they start cheering after the damn high note on "free" and keep hooting and hollering through the end of the song. No. STFU til it's over, you heathens.

I freaking love your parents! (go figure) My kids were always taught the same thing and have also taught their children. I do remember one parade though when my bio girls were about 12-13 and there was an unusually high amount of color guards and colors displayed. Huge freaking parade. You better know my kids were off their butts and hands over heart for everyone of them. Their tweenish attitudes were "no one ELSE is doing it! My friends aren't doing it!" My reply was, "well you are or your arm is going to hurt a lot. Any other questions?" Now they wouldn't dream of doing anything else.

And, yes, you are always supposed to put your hand over your heart for the anthem, unless you are in uniform, and then you render a salute til it is finished.

Aray82 · October 2014

My mom was annoyed too when we went to a volleyball game for her students--so many of the men didn't remove their hats!

jenajjthr · October 2014

My annoyance is my home NFL team. During the anthem, during the lyrics "home of the brave." The fans replace "brave" with "mascot name." Pisses me off. There was one year where a home game fell on Veterans Day and a petition went through, wanting the anthem to be sung correctly. Did the fans do it....nope. I get team pride, but then again you just have to Google our latest game against the New England Patriots to see how dumb our fans can be.

PrettyGirlLost · October 2014

MobKaz said:
I do not like when men keep their hats on during the anthem. I also do not like when parade watchers remain seated when color guards and/or armed forces march in front of the crowd.

My love/hate relationship with showing respect for the anthem happens during hockey season. For the past 20-30 years, at Blackhawk games, it has become tradition to cheer and yell as loud as possible throughout the duration of the anthem. The intent is respect, but I have always had mixed feelings about the way that respect is shown. However, if you witness it firsthand, it sends chills up your spine. No one sings it better than Jim Cornelison.

I fucking hate that! It's not respectful at all, it's disrespectful to the anthem and the performer.

However I don't think applause at the end of the anthem is disrespectful at all. It's a difficult song to sing, and the performers deserve sone kudos for pulling it off in front of large, rowdy crowds of sports fans.

Even those who can't actually pull the anthem off plenty can't but think they can- also deserve kudos for having the balls to try.

The hand over your heart seems to be regional or perhaps generational. We were taught to place our hands over our hearts during the Pledge of Allegiance, not the Anthem. . . Which was actually penned to a tune all about the virtues of drinking and sex.

Maggie0829 · October 2014

As someone from Maryland I am sure the rest of the country hates us because at most sporting events and even non-sporting events we yell "O" loudly and proudly on the word "oh" when the verse "Oh, say does that star spangled..." occurs.

As for etiquette I was always taught that you removed your hat and stood and faced the flag. The hand over the heart was always a Pledge of Allegiance thing, not a national anthem thing. But I don't think applauding at the end is disrespectful. Like PrettyGirl said, it is a hard song to sing and the performer should be applauded for their performance. Also, I think applauding once the song is over with is also a "fuck yeah, America rocks!" kind of thing. I mean it is the national anthem and as citizens we should be proud of it, not solemn and mournful.

[Deleted User] · October 2014

MobKaz said:

I do not like when men keep their hats on during the anthem. I also do not like when parade watchers remain seated when color guards and/or armed forces march in front of the crowd.

My love/hate relationship with showing respect for the anthem happens during hockey season. For the past 20-30 years, at Blackhawk games, it has become tradition to cheer and yell as loud as possible throughout the duration of the anthem. The intent is respect, but I have always had mixed feelings about the way that respect is shown. However, if you witness it firsthand, it sends chills up your spine. No one sings it better than Jim Cornelison.

I seriously want to punch people when I watch the National Anthem being sung at Blackhawk games. My Marine aunt stands at attention (she does not salute if she's not in uniform) whenever she hears the Anthem played regardless of where she is when it's happening. It's just reflex. And I could not imagine disrespecting her and all her co-workers by screaming and clapping during the ENTIRETY of the song. Like others said, it even bothers me when people cheer during the last line.

ShesSoCold · October 2014

I also get pissed at people and usually say something to people who don't remove their hats. At Bears games, they always bring out a veteran and salute him or her - I also bitch at people who don't stand then.

I agree with most of PPs, except at Blackhawks games, we cheer through the anthem. It's a tradition that's like 20 years old. We have the best anthem singers I've ever heard and it's so cool to be there with him singing and everyone cheering. I love it. There's always a debate and controversy over it, but it's not meant as disrespect, more of what @Maggie0829 said - it's an enthusiastic "fuck yeah" kind of thing.

Maggie0829 · October 2014

ShesSoCold said:

I also get pissed at people and usually say something to people who don't remove their hats. At Bears games, they always bring out a veteran and salute him or her - I also bitch at people who don't stand then.

I agree with most of PPs, except at Blackhawks games, we cheer through the anthem. It's a tradition that's like 20 years old. We have the best anthem singers I've ever heard and it's so cool to be there with him singing and everyone cheering. I love it. There's always a debate and controversy over it, but it's not meant as disrespect, more of what @Maggie0829 said - it's an enthusiastic "fuck yeah" kind of thing.

That is how our "O" thing is in Maryland. It started only at Orioles games but now it is a Maryland thing. If people don't like it, oh well, but I will still yell it loud and proud. Also since the National Anthem was written in Baltimore I feel like we should get a pass

ShesSoCold · October 2014

Maggie0829 said:

ShesSoCold said:

I also get pissed at people and usually say something to people who don't remove their hats. At Bears games, they always bring out a veteran and salute him or her - I also bitch at people who don't stand then.

I agree with most of PPs, except at Blackhawks games, we cheer through the anthem. It's a tradition that's like 20 years old. We have the best anthem singers I've ever heard and it's so cool to be there with him singing and everyone cheering. I love it. There's always a debate and controversy over it, but it's not meant as disrespect, more of what @Maggie0829 said - it's an enthusiastic "fuck yeah" kind of thing.

That is how our "O" thing is in Maryland. It started only at Orioles games but now it is a Maryland thing. If people don't like it, oh well, but I will still yell it loud and proud. Also since the National Anthem was written in Baltimore I feel like we should get a pass

Yeah. It's funny to see the other teams fans look at us like we're nuts when we start cheering as soon as dude starts singing. The Hawks anthem singer will usually do a Bears game or two and I cheer then too - people look at me weird.

lyndausvi · October 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KRh7fanShNc

It's not the anthem, but I love what happens during a Robin Williams performance. I wish people would to this when the anthem is played.

short+sassy · October 2014

bethsmiles said:

huskypuppy14 said:

rsbloom said:

Hats should ALWAYS be removed, male or female, for the national anthem. And yes, you are supposed to put your hand over your heart for that and the Pledge.

What I've started seeing at baseball games this year was people putting their hands over their hearts for songs like "America the Beautiful." I think that is strange.
If it's a sporting event, yes both men and women should remove their hats.

I am not really up on hat etiquette because I don't ever wear hats. My husband wears a hat a lot, and I think the don't wear a hat inside, is not really a thing anymore. When I was in HS kids could wear hats. People wear hats all the time in malls and places like that. Why do men have to remove their hats and not woman. Men are supposed to remove their hat when a woman walks in the room too, but people don't do that anymore.

I have always seen hand over heart for pledge and the anthem. However, it is not disrespectful to not put you hand over your heart. You can stand with your hands behind your back or at your side too.
It's leftover from when women used to wear hats they had pinned to their hair so it would have been a huge pain in the ass for them to remove them and put it back on because it wasn't as simple as just taking it on and off. Plus, the old thing of somehow showing more of your head was going to cause lustful thoughts and distract men from focusing on the national anthem or pledge.

SITB

And this is still true. If a woman is wearing a hat...like a fashion hat...that requires extra steps, such a using pins or having to rearrange hair, she is not required etiquette-wise to remove her hat. However, if it is a ball cap/visor/etc. that is easy to take on and off, she is required to remove it just like men.

PrettyGirlLost · October 2014

Maggie0829 said:

ShesSoCold said:

I also get pissed at people and usually say something to people who don't remove their hats. At Bears games, they always bring out a veteran and salute him or her - I also bitch at people who don't stand then.

I agree with most of PPs, except at Blackhawks games, we cheer through the anthem. It's a tradition that's like 20 years old. We have the best anthem singers I've ever heard and it's so cool to be there with him singing and everyone cheering. I love it. There's always a debate and controversy over it, but it's not meant as disrespect, more of what @Maggie0829 said - it's an enthusiastic "fuck yeah" kind of thing.

That is how our "O" thing is in Maryland. It started only at Orioles games but now it is a Maryland thing. If people don't like it, oh well, but I will still yell it loud and proud. Also since the National Anthem was written in Baltimore I feel like we should get a pass

Lol, I don't think it works that way.

And how can any 'Hawks fans ever hear the anthem singer to appreciate him, if he really is the best, if you are all screaming through his song? To me that is equivalent to people screaming through my aria while I'm trying to perform in an Opera- yeah you might mean it as support and a "fuck yeah, you go" but you're gonna piss me off! He's used to it, I know, but it just rubs me the wrong way.

But hockey players and fans are bizzare with their superstitions, so I'm sure that more than the tradition of it, you all have to keep it up otherwise the 'Hawks will never make it to the play-offs and the arena will crack and collapse ;-) I know how it is!

There was once an anthem singer back in the early 90's that took 10mins to sing the anthem- like wtf?! Well the Pens had like the worst game in history apparently that night, so their goalie at the time demanded that from then on all performers had to keep the anthem to under 2mins. I got to perform it once and this is what I was told my the coordinator, lol.

I hated that goalie anyways- prima donna pain in the ass- but I'd never want to jinx the rest o the team!!!

Maggie0829 · October 2014

PrettyGirlLost said:

Maggie0829 said:

ShesSoCold said:

I also get pissed at people and usually say something to people who don't remove their hats. At Bears games, they always bring out a veteran and salute him or her - I also bitch at people who don't stand then.

I agree with most of PPs, except at Blackhawks games, we cheer through the anthem. It's a tradition that's like 20 years old. We have the best anthem singers I've ever heard and it's so cool to be there with him singing and everyone cheering. I love it. There's always a debate and controversy over it, but it's not meant as disrespect, more of what @Maggie0829 said - it's an enthusiastic "fuck yeah" kind of thing.

That is how our "O" thing is in Maryland. It started only at Orioles games but now it is a Maryland thing. If people don't like it, oh well, but I will still yell it loud and proud. Also since the National Anthem was written in Baltimore I feel like we should get a pass

Lol, I don't think it works that way.

And how can any 'Hawks fans ever hear the anthem singer to appreciate him, if he really is the best, if you are all screaming through his song? To me that is equivalent to people screaming through my aria while I'm trying to perform in an Opera- yeah you might mean it as support and a "fuck yeah, you go" but you're gonna piss me off! He's used to it, I know, but it just rubs me the wrong way.

But hockey players and fans are bizzare with their superstitions, so I'm sure that more than the tradition of it, you all have to keep it up otherwise the 'Hawks will never make it to the play-offs and the arena will crack and collapse ;-) I know how it is!

There was once an anthem singer back in the early 90's that took 10mins to sing the anthem- like wtf?! Well the Pens had like the worst game in history apparently that night, so their goalie at the time demanded that from then on all performers had to keep the anthem to under 2mins. I got to perform it once and this is what I was told my the coordinator, lol.

I hated that goalie anyways- prima donna pain in the ass- but I'd never want to jinx the rest o the team!!!

10 minutes?! That is crazy ridiculous. The goalie probably just didn't want to sit through a 10 minute version of the National Anthem again because I know I wouldn't.

photokitty · October 2014

short+sassy said:

bethsmiles said:

huskypuppy14 said:

rsbloom said:

Hats should ALWAYS be removed, male or female, for the national anthem. And yes, you are supposed to put your hand over your heart for that and the Pledge.

What I've started seeing at baseball games this year was people putting their hands over their hearts for songs like "America the Beautiful." I think that is strange.
If it's a sporting event, yes both men and women should remove their hats.

I am not really up on hat etiquette because I don't ever wear hats. My husband wears a hat a lot, and I think the don't wear a hat inside, is not really a thing anymore. When I was in HS kids could wear hats. People wear hats all the time in malls and places like that. Why do men have to remove their hats and not woman. Men are supposed to remove their hat when a woman walks in the room too, but people don't do that anymore.

I have always seen hand over heart for pledge and the anthem. However, it is not disrespectful to not put you hand over your heart. You can stand with your hands behind your back or at your side too.
It's leftover from when women used to wear hats they had pinned to their hair so it would have been a huge pain in the ass for them to remove them and put it back on because it wasn't as simple as just taking it on and off. Plus, the old thing of somehow showing more of your head was going to cause lustful thoughts and distract men from focusing on the national anthem or pledge.

SITB

And this is still true. If a woman is wearing a hat...like a fashion hat...that requires extra steps, such a using pins or having to rearrange hair, she is not required etiquette-wise to remove her hat. However, if it is a ball cap/visor/etc. that is easy to take on and off, she is required to remove it just like men.

I don't wear ball caps, so if I have a hat on I'm not taking it off - think Kentucky Derby type hats. I was taught this is proper etiquette and until Congress or the Executive branch says otherwise I will continue to keep my hat on.

I always stand. I always put my hand on my heart. I am never silent. I sing proudly. I believe the national anthem is something to participate in, bc I want to others can stand silently if that's how they choose to honor our national. I also always get teared up.

NWR: National Anthem Etiquette

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