The Honduras National Anthem

This week, students who are graduating took their exam on the national anthem. This is a very important exam - if they don't pass, they don't graduate. They have to learn seven of the 60+ verses to the song, and be able to explain the symbols of the flag and in the song. The students have been studying for weeks! The night before, you could see the graduates scattered all over campus, furiously reading their notes and mumbling to themselves. Thankfully, I think that most of them passed, and the rest get a second try.

The anthem is a source of national pride. Everyone knows it (since they study it so much in school). Even little kids know it. I watched a four year old sing the chorus on time - she knew the words (okay, not the verses, but the chorus). They ask us North Americans about our anthem. How many verses does it have (I don't know, we only sing one)? Do you take a test on it to graduate (no!)? I think they emphasize it so much because it promotes patriotism. It makes me wonder - if we devoted more energy to knowing and understanding our anthem, would it have an effect on national pride?

I have included a clip from YouTube, so that you can hear "Tu Bandera". I think it is a pretty song, if a little long. The clip might take awhile to load if you have a slow internet connection.