What is the Canadian national anthem?

O Canada is sung at almost every public Canadian ceremony: citizenship oath ceremonies, federal-provincial swearing-in events, school assemblies on the first day of school, opening sessions of legislatures, national sporting events (NHL, CFL, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors, the Olympics), Remembrance Day services on November 11, Canada Day on July 1, and royal visits. The anthem also concludes citizenship ceremonies as the new citizens' first formal act after taking the Oath of Citizenship.

Performance protocol set by Canadian Heritage calls for the anthem to be sung facing the flag, with the right hand placed over the heart or held at the side, and head uncovered. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces in uniform salute throughout. Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers in red serge also salute. The full ceremonial version takes about 90 seconds; shortened sport-event versions typically clock in at 60 to 75 seconds. Bilingual performances alternate the two official languages, often with English lyrics in the first half and French in the second.

Federal etiquette specifies particular respect on certain occasions. At citizenship ceremonies, where new Canadians take the Oath of Citizenship and then sing O Canada as their first formal act as citizens, attendees stand throughout. At Remembrance Day services on November 11 the anthem is preceded by the Last Post, two minutes of silence, and Reveille; it follows the Lament. The Royal Anthem of Canada is God Save the King, performed when the King or another member of the Royal Family is present (or after a Lieutenant Governor's arrival in some provincial protocols). The national anthem and the royal anthem are distinct: O Canada represents the country; God Save the King represents the Sovereign.

The anthem also features in Canadian education. Most Canadian elementary schools begin the day with O Canada, often followed by a moment of silence or land acknowledgement. School boards across Canada have adapted performance practice to meet diverse student populations: many schools now include Indigenous-language verses, sing the anthem in both English and French, or invite singers in different languages. The federal Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages issued guidance on bilingual anthem usage for federal events. The English lyrics were amended in February 2018 (Bill C-210) to replace 'in all thy sons command' with 'in all of us command' to make the line gender-neutral.