Plural of anthem; inspirational songs or musical compositions expressing the values of a group or nation, often performed at public events.
From Old English 'antifne,' derived from Greek antiphona (responsive chanting). Originally referred to religious choral music, later broadened to patriotic and group identity songs.
National anthems became standardized in the 19th century when countries formalized their identities — the practice of standing for an anthem is surprisingly modern, not ancient tradition as many assume.
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