National Anthems

A national anthem is a form of patriotic music that reflects on the history and traditions of a nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns. The oldest anthem known is 'Wilhelmus', the Dutch national anthem, which was written between 1568 and 1572. The Japanese anthem, 'Kimi ga Yo' is often wrongly thought to be the oldest because the lyrics are taken from a poem written in 794, but it didn't become an anthem until the mid-1800's.