# Hand over heart during national anthems. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656 "2004-09-16T07:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/1 "2004-09-16T07:35:31Z")
I thought of this again during the Olympics, but didn’t get around to it till now. In the US it’s customary to hold your right hand over your heart, or remove your hat and hold it over your heart during the national anthem. Customary as in most in the US do it anytime the song is played. However, I’ve noticed for years that non-US medal winners don’t do this. Have I been missing it, or is the US the country to do this? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/2 "2004-09-16T07:46:13Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I thought of this again during the Olympics, but didn’t get around to it till now. > > In the US it’s customary to hold your right hand over your heart, or remove your hat and hold it over your heart during the national anthem. Customary as in most in the US do it anytime the song is played. > > However, I’ve noticed for years that non-US medal winners don’t do this. Have I been missing it, or is the US the country to do this? Yup, it’s a US habit. Discussed in less temperate terms than yours [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=271800&highlight=civilian+salute). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/3 "2004-09-16T07:50:54Z")
It’s certainly not customary in Australia. I suspect that most Australians would consider such behaviour mawkish. There was a suggestion recently that schoolchildren should salute the flag, and it was dismissed by some as being “too American”. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/4 "2004-09-16T12:45:47Z")
During the most recent World Cup (soccerball) I noticed that the Mexicans held their left hands over their hearts, with their forearm and hand making a horizontal “bar” over the heart, and their elbows extended outwards. It made for a cute image on TV: thousands of Mexicans, hands over their hearts, solemnly singing their national anthem, while playfully jabbing each other in the ribs and trying not to collapse into giggles. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/5 "2004-09-16T12:59:20Z")
[Makes you wonder where our president’s heart is.](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040911/480/whre11109111723) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/6 "2004-09-16T13:01:51Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > During the most recent World Cup (soccerball) I noticed that the Mexicans held their left hands over their hearts, \ Er, **right** hand. Or left. One or the other. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/7 "2004-09-16T13:21:56Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > During the most recent World Cup (soccerball) … Look, I was going to let this go when you mentioned it the first time. It’s not **soccerball** it never has been -and I hope it never will be. The world (except the USA) call it football. I appreciate you have your own version of football, so if you must call it soccer, but not soccerball, please. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/8 "2004-09-16T14:46:30Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > Look, I was going to let this go when you mentioned it the first time. It’s not **soccerball** it never has been -and I hope it never will be. The world (except the USA) call it football. I appreciate you have your own version of football, so if you must call it soccer, but not soccerball, please. It’s a joke. Lighten up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-over-heart-during-national-anthems/264656/9 "2004-09-16T15:29:13Z")
> [@Patty O'Furniture](#): > > [Makes you wonder where our president’s heart is.](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/040911/480/whre11109111723) > > 😃 Eh, somebody told him “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” and he got confused and took it literally.