Which song, traditionally associated with New Year's Eve, was written by Robert Burns?

“Auld Lang Syne,” traditionally associated with New Year’s Eve, was written by Robert Burns.

The Scottish poet Robert Burns sent a version of the song to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, describing it as an old song. Burns’s words draw on earlier Scots verses and use the phrase “auld lang syne,” commonly understood as “old long since” or “days gone by.” The song asks whether old friendships and memories should be forgotten.

Its melody and words gradually spread beyond Scotland. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, performers and broadcasters helped establish it as a standard for marking midnight on New Year’s Eve in many English-speaking countries. The tune is also used for farewells, memorials, graduations, and other transitions.

Burns is sometimes credited as the sole creator, but the song has older textual and musical roots. His contribution was the influential version that became internationally famous. The title is often misspelled or misheard, but the standard form is “Auld Lang Syne.”