Why do we sing 'Auld Lang Syne' on New Year's Eve?

A lot of younger people don't know the song, but those of an age grew up singing "Auld Lang Syne" every New Year's Eve as the clock turned over to a shiny new year. Why do we do it?

Well, number one, it's a tradition and it's been traditional to sing the old Scottish song since the late 1920s. Band leader Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians sang it every year from 1929 until 1976 on New Year's Eve. Watching Guy Lombardo bring in the New Year was like watching "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" today.

"Auld Lang Syne" loosely translated is "Times Gone By." The tune was first written down by Scottish poet Robert Burns, also known as Rabbie Burns.

"Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the British Museum with this comment: 'The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man's singing, is enough to recommend any air.' (Burns) set it to a traditional Scottish air that is quite different than the popularized version."

If you'd like to sing it true to its Scottish tradition and the way Burns wrote it down, this is how you sing it.

"AULD LANG SYNE"

Should auld acquaintance be forgot/
And never brought to mind?/
Should auld acquaintance be forgot/
And auld lang syne?

Chorus:

For auld lang syne, my dear/
For auld lang syne/
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet/
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp/
And surely I’ll be mine/
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet/
for auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes/
And pou’d the gowans fine/
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot/
Sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae sported i’ the burn/
From morning sun till dine/
But seas between us braid hae roared/
Sin’ auld lang syne.

And ther’s a hand, my trusty friend/
And gie’s a hand o’ thine/
We’ll tak’ a right good willie-waught/
For auld lang syne.

Happy New Year!

SOURCE: howstuffworks.com