We all know the sentimental (maybe even a little sad, at times) tune of “Auld Lang Syne.” It’s a New Year’s staple, helping us put one year to bed and start a new one on the right foot. But how did this song come to be known as the New Year’s song?
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Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?
“Auld Lang Syne” dates all the way back to 18th-century Scotland. The original poem was penned by Robert Burns in 1788. He wrote the work to be a meditation on “Times long past” (which is the rough English translation of the title) and old friends. Given this, it’s easy to see why this song is on the quick draw for New Year’s, but let’s dive deeper into the song’s trajectory.
Music publisher George Thomson helped Burns come up with the tune we all know today, a few years after the poem was written. Long before it was used as background music for popping Champagne and wearing silly year-shaped glasses, it was the calling card for the Scottish holiday Hogmanay.
Hogmanay celebrates the final day of the year. Christmas was a no-no around this time due to the country’s ban on the distinctly Catholic holiday. Because of this, Hogmanay was cause for giving gifts and singing carols—chief among them was “Auld Lang Syne.”
When Scottish people started immigrating around the world in the next century, they brought “Auld Lang Syne” with them. Its instant catchiness and emotional core made it a quick hit outside of Scotland. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians furthered its appeal by playing it on New Year’s Eve in 1929. It was the final stepping stone to making this song a renowned staple.
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