I'm from England and in the military. I love my country and I feel I'm a patriotic person. I feel a sense of pride when the GB national anthem comes on.

I saw a post on here about the USA shot putters who didn't hold there heart when the national anthem was playing. I don't understand why they need too? Does it prove that they love there country more than a person who does hold there chest?

When I was in Bahrain I went to the cinema in the US navy Base and I couldn't understand why the national anthem was played before a movie.

Would anyone be able to inform me why this is called patriotism? And why it's done?