Auld Lang Syne is traditionally performed at the Times Square New Year's Eve midnight celebration in the United States.
The song is based on a Scots poem associated with Robert Burns, who published a version in 1788. Its title uses Scots words meaning roughly “old long since,” or memories of times gone by. The melody became widely associated with farewells and the beginning of a new year.
At midnight, the song is commonly sung after the Times Square Ball reaches the bottom. The performance is part of a broader English-speaking New Year's custom, not a song created specifically for New York City. Instrumental and vocal versions can vary considerably.
The song is often confused with a national anthem because it is performed at major public occasions. It is not the national anthem of the United States, the United Kingdom, or Scotland; it is a traditional farewell and remembrance song.