When Is National Anthem Day: There were a few well-known patriotic songs in the early Republican era, like “Yankee Doodle” and “Hail Columbia,” but there was no official national anthem. Today, we honor “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which became the official national song of the United States on March 3, 1931. Real flags and the events surrounding them inspired this important song.
The War of 1812 started in June of that year. Even though the US won early on, the British were able to focus more on the US front after France and Napoleon were defeated at Waterloo in April 1814. Right after Washington, D.C., was taken over. After the fires in August at the White House and the Capitol, the British turned their attention back to Baltimore, Maryland.
On September 13, the British Royal Navy shelled Fort McHenry in Baltimore for 25 hours. A huge (30 x 42 foot) American flag was flown over the fort early on September 14. At that moment, Francis Scott Key, a lawyer from Washington, D.C., found himself on a ship in Baltimore Harbor. During a previous fight, Dr. William Beanes was captured, and Key was working to free him. They were told they couldn’t leave until the gunfire stopped, even after they freed Beanes. When Key saw the beautiful flag flying above the fort, he wrote the first line of what would become “The Star-Spangled Banner.” At the time, it was called “Defense of Fort M’Henry.”
Soon after, Key wrote three more lines, but today, only the first one is usually sung. The fourth one is only used for formal events. A nearby printer put the lines on a broadside on September 17. Two days after that, on September 19, the lines were printed in the Baltimore Patriot and The American. Once they were printed in other East Coast newspapers, the words spread.
History of National Anthem Day
On the evening of September 13, 1812, a Maryland lawyer named Francis Scott Key was trying to get Dr. William Beans, a prisoner of war who was accused of tricking British troops, released from jail on a British ship. The Key was kept on the ship even after he was able to get Beans released because the British were afraid he would tell American forces about their battle plans.
Key and Beans stayed on the ship all night and saw the fierce attack on Fort McHenry. The next morning, Key was shocked to see the American flag waving over Fort McHenry, even though he thought the Americans would lose. Our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was written by Key in response to this sad event.
In the early 1900s, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung in various ways. President Woodrow Wilson told the Bureau of Education to make it uniform, which they did by hiring five bands, one of which was John Philip Sousa. This version was played for the first time on December 5, 1917.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” became the official national song of the United States on March 3, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed an order from Congress making it so. National Anthem Day is celebrated every year on March 3 to honor the day the law was signed.
In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick started a protest by kneeling during the national anthem at football games. Some disagree about whether this is considered disrespectful or a valid way to protest.
National Anthem Day Activities
Learn the words and sentences. Sometimes, it’s more fun to do physical activities when you can sing or lip-synch with other Americans. Americans should know the words to our National Anthem for more than just the chance to be shown on TV on the jumbotron.
It would help if you looked into the National Historic Trail of the Star-Spangled Banner. Historic places in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia are all linked by this road. It shows how people could move by land or water and highlights important events that happened before the Battle of Baltimore, which is what inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem.
Put up your Stars and Stripes banner. Take advantage of this chance to proudly fly your American flag all year if you still need to. Spend some time telling your family, friends, and neighbors what this day means and why you should fly the Star-Spangled Banner.
5 Little Known Facts About Our National Anthem
Notes That Are Hard to Follow
Many people don’t agree with the choice of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem because they think the song’s wide range of melodies makes it hard to sing.
Getting Ideas from a Garrison Banner
After the battle, Francis Scott Key found what looked like a garrison flag. It was the Great Garrison Flag, which had fifteen lines and fifteen stars. This flag was flown on holidays, Sundays, and other important days.
Changes made to the original name
“Defense of Fort M’Henry” was the original name of the song that we now call “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Different Verse
Although people often sing only the first line out loud, the song’s original form had five verses. A fifth verse was added 47 years later.
The Showcase at Woodstock
James Hendrix sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock in 1969. Over the next two years, he would sing his famous version sixty times more.
Why We Love National Anthem Day
Individuality stands out
The difficulties and complexities of the song have led to wonderfully unique performances. The way famous people sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sports events is very different from person to person.
Boosts nationalism
When the National Anthem is played in public, it always makes people feel very patriotic, no matter how happy or sad the mood is. We get closer to each other by showing our shared pride when we sing it together.
A Story of Atonement
Francis Scott Key wrote a song about how his country won a battle where there wasn’t a clear winner. These lines tell the story of how surprised he was to wake up after a night of fierce fighting and see the flag still flying, which meant that we had won that important night.
How to celebrate National Anthem Day
One of the easiest and most fun events to celebrate is National Anthem Day. Learn the words to your country’s national song because the party starts at home. Learn about the song’s background, get to know the vocal style, and look for any secret lyrics that have yet to be found. In both “God Save the Queen” and “The American National Anthem,” there are lyrics that aren’t as well known, though the first few are normally played.
On National Anthem Day, you can learn about your country’s past and feel proud of its rich heritage. The day’s purpose is to bring the country together around shared values, with a focus on the American flag and all that it stands for today, tomorrow, and in the past.
You should try to learn all four lines of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” even if most people only know the first one.
Want to learn more about the national anthem’s history? The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is a great place to visit. This trail passes through the DC area, Maryland, and Virginia. You can also visit Fort McHenry, where the national song was written.
Why is National Anthem Day celebrated?
National Anthem Day is here to celebrate the National Anthems of the world, from the obscure and forgotten to the ones that ring out every day.
There is a song that everyone in your country knows, no matter what age. The National Anthem of your country is an important piece of music. It’s what your country’s history and society are all about, and it usually shows what kind of person it is. In places like America, the song is played live at sporting events, especially American football games. It is sung in schools all over the world. This day is meant to honor all of the national songs sung around the world, from the well-known to the less well-known.
The holiday of National SongSong Day has its roots in America, where Francis Scott Key wrote the song ” The Star-Spangled Banner ” during a crucial British attack on Fort McHenry. Key saw everything because he was stationed on a military ship in the bay. The song contains images from these events, especially the line “bombs bursting in air.” The tune is based on an old tavern ballad that was famous during Key’s time in the military.
England is one of the countries that doesn’t have a declared national anthem. Instead, they use a song as their unofficial theme. “God Save the Queen” is often played at public and sporting events in England for this reason. The UK is hard to understand because it is split into three Kingdoms, and each has its national song.
On which date National Anthem is adopted?
January 24, 1950
The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bangla by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on January 24, 1950.
The famous author and playwright Rabindranath Tagore wrote some of the words to “Jana Gana Mana,” which is India’s national song. Tagore’s “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata” lines are used as the basis for India’s national anthem.
The song was written in Bengali at the time and has five lines. It was first released in 1905 in a Tatwabodhini Patrika issue.
The song was played for the first time in public on December 27, 1911, at a meeting of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta. Rabindranath Tagore was in charge of the show.
On February 28, 1919, Tagore translated the whole Bengali song into English and titled it “The Morning Song of India.” Dr. Cousins of the Besant Theosophical College in Madnapalle had asked him to do this while Tagore was a guest there.
The full tune of the slow-paced song, written in the raga Alhaiya Bilawal, is thought to have been written by Rabindranath. The famous guitarist Dinendranath Tagore, who is Rabindranath Tagore’s grand nephew, may have come up with the idea. When the song was played by the Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany in 1942, another adjusted score was made.
Which song is 1st National Anthem?
Jana Gana Mana
The National Anthem of India was first sung at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on this day, i.e., 27th December in 1911. ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is the first stanza of the Bengali hymn ‘Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata’ and it was written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
India’s national song, “Jana Gana Mana,” was written by Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore. Higher Bengali Sanskrit was used to write this song, which is based on the first five lines of a Brahmo Hymn, which was written and scored by Rabindranath Tagore. The Indian National Anthem was first sung on December 27, 1911, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. It became the official national song on January 24, 1950, when the Constituent Assembly made it official.
The singing of the national anthem lasts for about 52 seconds. The text of Jana Gana Mana was first written in Bengali, but it has been heavily changed to Sanskrit, and most of the words that are names can also be verbs. In the song, almost every word is spelled in a language that most Indian people know.
India’s national song shows how diverse the country is by focusing on differences in language, religion, customs, and culture. It’s a warning that despite these differences, India is one country with one flag. The song is very important for keeping the peace in the community and showing that all Indians are the same.
The Indian national song can be heard at many events, in government buildings, and in universities and colleges. It is sung every day, on national holidays, and at important events. It has been called “The Morning Song of India.”
Can we sing National Anthem under roof?
National anthem could not be sung under roof. National anthem should always be sung in open area under the sky.
An order from November 30 says that “all cinema halls in India shall play the National Anthem before the feature film starts, and all present are obliged to stand to show respect.” The Supreme Court’s decision on the National Anthem seems to have ignored possible risks in order to promote “committed patriotism and nationalism.”
People mostly dislike the Supreme Court’s ruling because it limits free speech, patriotism, choice, and freedom; however, the requirement that doors be bolted is very unsafe for the public.
According to experts, this law should not only be evaluated but also made more clear. Alok Prasanna Kumar, a senior resident fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and a lawyer from Bengaluru, talks about what the Supreme Court’s ruling might mean. He says that a terrible event like the Uphaar fire disaster in 1997 is just waiting to happen. Alok stated: “I think by ‘disturbance,’ the Supreme Court meant walking in and out of the theatre. But two things need to be kept in mind: Firstly, this order is fraught with potential danger and harm to the public, and secondly, the Supreme Court is violating its own earlier order in the Uphaar case, where it had ordered that doors should never be bolted.”
After the terrible Uphaar fire in 1997, a two-judge Supreme Court bench issued safety guidelines that said, “Under no circumstances should the entry door (which can act as an emergency exit in the event of fire or other emergency) be bolted from the outside.” The bench pointed out the terrible result of a bolted door during the Uphaar cinema incident to stress how important it is to keep doors unlocked so that people can easily escape in case of an emergency.
Can we speak national anthem in night?
5 Yes, the national anthem can be sung after 6 pm. It can be played at any time of the day, playing the anthem during the night doesn’t violate any rules. But while the anthem is played every one should stand up and maintain proper decorum.
Tagore’s five-stanza Brahmo hymn “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata,” which was written in “Sadhu Bhasha,” a Hinduized form of Bengali, was sung in public for the first time in December 1911.
The Constituent Assembly of India officially made the first stanza of Tagore’s song, which plays for about 52 seconds, India’s national anthem in 1950. Sometimes, a shorter version with only the first and last lines is given.
India held its first meeting of the Indian Constituent Assembly as a separate body in 1947 to mark the end of British rule and the passing of the Indian Independence Act. As their group led the way, they sang “Jana Gana Mana” together.
Ricky Kej, an Indian composer who has won three Grammy Awards, led the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a historic performance on August 15, 2023, in honor of Indian Independence Day. It was the largest symphony orchestra ever to record “Jana Gana Mana” at Abbey Road Studios in London.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was played at a big sporting event for the first time on September 5, 1918, at Comiskey Park in Chicago during the first game of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. The United States was in the middle of World War I when the bombing of the Chicago Federal Building the day before made things very emotional. During the seventh-inning stretch, a military band played the song, which made players and fans stand up and applaud. The song was used in other sports as well, and it became a standard in other baseball grounds.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” was proposed as the national anthem by Rep. John Linthicum (D-MD) on April 15, 1929. In the years since 1918, Linthicum has tried five times to write this kind of law. Since part of his district was in Baltimore, some people thought that his support was more for his voters than for the country. The House Judiciary Committee finally heard the bill, and Linthicum brought a letter with five million signatures that the Veterans of Foreign Wars had organized. Besides that, he sent in resolutions, letters of support from 25 states, and letters from 150 groups. The House passed the law on April 21, 1930, and the Senate did the same on March 3, 1931. “The Star-Spangled Banner” became the official national anthem of the United States on the same day that President Herbert Hoover signed it.
There have been arguments about the anthem, even though most people agree that it is a passionate song about freedom. When Francis Scott Key wrote the anthem, he was an enslaver. The song includes the line “the land of the free.” Key later freed his slaves and backed their return to Africa, but the anthem has recently been used as a protest song against racial injustice. Certain individuals think it is patriotic to stay seated or kneeling during a sporting event, while others disagree.
