People from outside the US were left shocked and unnerved after witnessing the reaction inside a restaurant when the American national anthem began to play.
Usually, it’s cool to find yourself immersed in the habits of other countries, but there are some behaviors that are hard to wrap your head around if you’re not used to them.
TikTok user Paulina (@paulinappa_0) found herself confronted with one of those behaviors when she took a trip to the Rainbow Oaks Restaurant in Southern California, and she took to the video platform to share the entire experience.
The Rainbow Oaks Restaurant was described as a ‘lodge-like eatery offering breakfast all day and night,’ and was known for playing the American national anthem on a daily basis.
Paulina wasn’t aware of this tradition, so was caught off guard when ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ began to play.
Her video shows the moment the song rings out in the restaurant, and it’s like the entire world came to a stop.
Customers around Paulina all stood still with their right hands on their hearts, while Paulina and her friend stayed sitting with their pancakes.
Alongside the video, Paulina joked: “By far the most dangerous situation I’ve ever been in #godblessamerica #getout #illegal #whitepeoplethings”.
TikTok/@paulinappa_0
Viewers were left stunned by the scene, particularly those from outside the US.
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.”
Another added: “In Spain we don’t even hear the national anthem that much, so this would 100% freak me out so much.”
One comment even went as far as to compare the scene to a ‘horror movie’.
“Everyone stands up as soon as the music plays as you find yourself been the only person not standing,” they wrote.
Even some Americans were a little put off by the video, but most took the opportunity to defend their love of the national anthem and pride in their country.
“Yeah I can see how dangerous this is. Everybody respecting the flag and not paying any attention to you whatsoever. How did you survive?” one viewer snarked.
After the video went viral, Jeanene Paulino, the owner of Rainbow Oaks, assured people that she has no plans to stop the tradition.
Fox News
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 those men and women who made those sacrifices that she was able to do that.”
