When the American national song started playing in a restaurant, the response astonished and scared people from other countries.
Immersion in the customs of foreign cultures is generally cool, but there are some customs that are difficult to understand if you’re not used to them.
When Paulina (@paulinappa_0), a TikTok user, went to the Rainbow Oaks Restaurant in Southern California, she encountered one of those acts. She shared the full encounter on the video site.
The restaurant known as Rainbow Oaks was characterized as a “lodge-like eatery offering breakfast all day and night,” and it was said to play the US national anthem every day.
Paulina was taken aback when “The Star-Spangled Banner” started playing because she was unaware of this custom.
In the video, you can see the exact moment when the music starts playing in the restaurant and everything stops.
While Paulina and her friend remained seated with their pancakes, the other customers in the vicinity all stood motionless, placing their right palms on their hearts.
Paulina posted a humorous comment beside the video, saying, “By far the most dangerous situation I’ve ever been in #godblessamerica #getout #illegal #whitepeoplethings”.
The scene astounded everyone watching, especially those who weren’t Americans.
One TikTok user who said they were from Australia, wrote: “Whaaaat?? So freaky. We play ours at the Olympics and ANZAC Day and that’s pretty much it.”
Someone else said, “In Spain, we don’t even hear the national anthem that much, so this would 100% freak me out so much.”
The event was even likened to a “horror movie” in one comment.
“Everyone stands up as soon as the music plays, as you find yourself the only person not standing,” they composed.
The video even slightly offended some Americans, but most used the occasion to defend their love of the national anthem and sense of patriotism.
“Yeah, I can see how dangerous this is. Everybody is respecting the flag and not paying any attention to you whatsoever. How did you survive?” One viewer snarked.
The owner of Rainbow Oaks, Jeanene Paulino, gave people confidence that she had no intention of ending the custom after the video went viral.
Speaking to Fox & Friends First, she said: “I come from a long line of patriots, so I was thrilled to keep the tradition going. No, we won’t be stopping.”
“I feel like, if we take a few minutes out of our day to be grateful for the men and women who have made the sacrifices so that we can stand up and say how we feel, and she said how she felt.”
“And I wish she realized that it’s because of those men and women who made those sacrifices that she was able to do that.”