What is the title of the Scottish song commonly sung at midnight on New Year's Eve?

The Scottish song commonly sung at midnight on New Year's Eve is “Auld Lang Syne.”

The title is Scots for a phrase meaning “old long since,” or, more naturally, “for old times' sake.” The song's lyrics are associated with the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who sent a version to a friend in 1788. Burns drew on older Scottish words and traditional material rather than inventing every element from nothing.

The familiar melody became especially influential through bandleader Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians. Their radio broadcasts helped establish the song as a New Year's Eve standard in North America during the twentieth century. It is now sung internationally, often while people link arms or raise glasses.

“Auld Lang Syne” is not exclusively a New Year's song. It can also accompany farewells, graduations, memorials, and other moments of transition. Different countries use different translations, verses, and performance customs, while the first verse and chorus remain the most familiar.