The title “Auld Lang Syne” means “old long since,” commonly understood as “for old times’ sake.”
The phrase comes from Scots. “Auld” means old, “lang” means long, and “syne” means since or ago. The song asks whether old friends and past times should be forgotten, answering that they should be remembered through friendship and shared memories.
Robert Burns wrote down a version of the words in 1788 after hearing a traditional Scottish song. Burns’s text was later paired with the familiar melody, whose exact earlier history is debated. The song became especially associated with New Year celebrations through Scottish and North American custom.
Although many English-language celebrations use it at midnight, the song is not exclusively a New Year song. It is also sung at farewells, graduations, memorial occasions, and other moments of transition. Its wording is Scots rather than standard modern English.