“Auld Lang Syne,” written by Robert Burns, is traditionally sung at midnight on New Year's Eve in many countries. The song is a remembrance of old friendships and times past, making it a natural part of year-end farewells.
Burns wrote down and published a version of the Scots-language poem in the late eighteenth century. The phrase “auld lang syne” means “old long since,” or roughly “for old times' sake.” Burns drew on older Scottish verses and oral traditions rather than inventing every line from nothing.
The melody now commonly used with the words became internationally familiar during the nineteenth century. By the twentieth century, the song was strongly associated with New Year celebrations in English-speaking countries and beyond.
People often know only the opening words and chorus, and performances vary in arrangement and pronunciation. The song is not specifically a national anthem; it is a traditional farewell and remembrance song used at many kinds of transitions.