The traditional song commonly sung at New Year's Eve celebrations is “Auld Lang Syne.”
The title is Scots for “old long since,” meaning times gone by or old friendships. Robert Burns wrote down and adapted the lyrics in 1788, drawing on older Scottish folk material. The melody now associated with the song became widely established later.
The song spread internationally through Scottish communities and popular performers. Its themes of friendship, remembrance, and shared memories made it especially suitable for marking the transition from one year to the next. It is also sung at reunions, farewells, graduations, and other closing moments.
A common mistake is to treat Burns as the sole creator of every word and musical element. He is credited with the familiar literary version, but the song developed from earlier traditional material. Pronunciations and translations vary, while the Scots title generally remains unchanged.