Ham and Black Eyed Peas. Ball drops and midnight kisses. And Auld Lang Syne. There are just some things that you do on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. They're tradition. Timeless. But why? And what does Auld Lang Syne mean, anyway? Is that some sort of geometry equation?
I can't tell you why black eyed peas mean good luck or why we kiss someone at the stroke of midnight. But I can tell you about Auld Lang Syne (it means long ago, basically).
Written by Robert Burns in Scotland the late 1700s, Auld Lang Syne quickly became the tune that Scots sand on New Year's Day. Eventually the custom spread as the Scottish people spread around the world.
The song's popularity in the United States can be credited to Guy Lombardo. Auld Lang Syne became Lombardo's trademark on his radio and TV broadcasts in the early 1900s.
The melody is a traditional Scottish folk melody. It would have been recognizable to anybody in Scotland when the song was first written. Burns' lyrics are about reminiscing and spending time with friends. It's no wonder that the Scots latched onto it as a way to ring in a New Year and remember the previous one.
Whatever the reason, I enjoy the tradition of Auld Lang Syne. Maybe it's because no one really remembers the words, only the melody. But New Year's Eve just wouldn't be the same without it. Now about that kissing thing ...
