“Auld Lang Syne,” associated with Robert Burns, is traditionally sung at New Year celebrations in many countries.
The Scots phrase means roughly “old long since” or “for old times’ sake.” The song’s lyrics recall friendship, shared experiences, and drinking a cup of kindness with people remembered from the past. These themes made it well suited to a moment of farewell and renewal.
Robert Burns sent a version of the lyrics to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, noting that the words were based partly on older material. Burns is therefore strongly associated with the song, although neither the words nor the melody can be treated as entirely his invention.
The tune used today became widely standardized during the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, radio and television helped spread the song internationally, especially through English-speaking New Year broadcasts. It is also used at farewells, graduations, memorials, and other transitions, not only on December 31.