The Beast's Pub Trivia

[DickandDoof]

I thought I’d try to revive this thread which seems to have gone into dormancy. Why don’t the Spanish people sing the words to their national anthem at big sporting matches or other large gatherings like national or regional holiday celebrations?

 

[Whitneysub]

Good question....

 

[Azuldrgon]

I thought I’d try to revive this thread which seems to have gone into dormancy. Why don’t the Spanish people sing the words to their national anthem at big sporting matches or other large gatherings like national or regional holiday celebrations?

Does it not have any words or something?
I'm curious now.

 

[DickandDoof]

Good question....

Thanks, Whitney, please see my answer below.

 

[Whitneysub]

Apologies...I seem to be missing the explanation...

 

[DickandDoof]

Does it not have any words or something?
I'm curious now.

You’re absolutely right! There are no words to the Spanish anthem. Spain is a highly balkanised country, it’s like a very loose confederation of 20 countries that were all once separate kingdoms. The Catalans, Basques, Valencianos etc. all have separate histories, cultures, languages etc. Whenever they’ve gotten together to try and agree on words for the national anthem, they’ve never been able to agree. So they’ve kind of given up. Now, for example, at a sporting match, the national tune is played but the players and fans just sing Lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo. It’s actually quite fun and you never have to worry about forgetting the words.

 

[Whitneysub]

You’re absolutely right! There are no words to the Spanish anthem. Spain is a highly balkanised country, it’s like a very loose confederation of 20 countries that were all once separate kingdoms. The Catalans, Basques, Valencianos etc. all have separate histories, cultures, languages etc. Whenever they’ve gotten together to try and agree on words for the national anthem, they’ve never been able to agree. So they’ve kind of given up. Now, for example, at a sporting match, the national tune is played but the players and fans just sing Lo-lo, lo-lo-lo, lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo. It’s actually quite fun and you never have to worry about forgetting the words.

Now we know...thank you for sharing

 

[DickandDoof]

Apologies...I seem to be missing the explanation...

Sorry, it took me a little time to write it out. It should be there now.

 

[DickandDoof]

Now we know...thank you for sharing

My pleasure. Spain is full of quirky things like that.