Auld Lang Syne, pronounced AWLD lang SYN, is the title of a traditional song of
friendship in the English-speaking world. The words mean old long since, or days
gone by, in Scottish dialect. The famous Scottish poet Robert Burns is usually
given credit for the words of the song, but he probably based them on a folk song.
The melody is a version of an old Scottish tune. "Auld Lang Syne" is a traditional
New Year's Eve song in the United States.
You can see the words to Auld Lang Syne HERE and HERE.
Related Site: What do the words Auld Lang Syne mean? from HowStuffWorks.Com

New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year. People in almost every
country celebrate this day as a holiday. The celebrations are both festive and
serious. Many people make New Year's resolutions to break bad habits or to start
good ones. Some think about how they have lived during the past year and look
forward to the next 12 months.

Early customs. Many ancient peoples started the year at harvesttime. They
performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the new year.
For example, some people put out the fires they were using and started new ones.

In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts of branches
from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted
with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was
named after Janus, who had two faces--one looking forward and the other looking
backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually
began to demand such gifts. But the Christian church outlawed this custom and
certain other pagan New Year's practices in A.D. 567.

The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized
productiveness. The Celtic priests of what is now England gave the people
branches of mistletoe,

which was considered sacred.

The Celts took over many New Year's customs from the Romans, who invaded the
British Isles in A.D. 43. By the 1200's, English rulers had revived the Roman
custom of asking their subjects for New Year's presents. Common presents included
jewelry and gold. Queen Elizabeth I acquired a large collection of richly
embroidered and jeweled gloves through this custom. English husbands gave their
wives money on New Year's Day to buy pins and other articles. This custom
disappeared in the 1800's. However, the term pin money still means small amounts
of spending money.

Many American colonists in New England celebrated the new year by firing guns
into the air and shouting. They also visited taverns and houses to ask for drinks.
Other colonists attended church services. Some people held open house, welcoming
all visitors and feeding them generously.

Another old custom involved using the Bible to predict what would happen in the
new year. People chose a passage of the Bible at random. They then applied the
passage to the coming months of the new year.

Modern customs on New Year's Day include visiting friends and relatives; giving
gifts; attending religious services; and making noise with guns, horns, bells, and
other devices. Children in Belgium write their parents New Year's messages on
decorated paper. The children read the messages to their families on New Year's
Day. The Chinese New Year begins between January 21 and February 19. The
celebration lasts four days. On the last night, people dress as dragons to frighten
and delight the children. In Japan, many people worship on New Year's Day.

In the United States, many people go to New Year's Eve parties. Crowds gather in Times
Square in New York City, on State Street in Chicago, and in other public places. At midnight
bells ring, sirens sound, firecrackers explode, and everyone shouts, "Happy New Year!"
People also drink a toast to the new year and sing "Auld Lang Syne"

On New Year's Day, many people in the United States visit relatives, attend religious services,
or watch football games on television. Some people attend parades, such as the Tournament of
Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., and the Mummers' Parade in Philadelphia.

The date of New Year's. The early Roman calendar used March 1
as New Year's Day. Later, the ancient Romans made January 1
the beginning of the year.

During the Middle Ages, most European countries used March 25, a Christian
holiday called Annunciation Day, to start the year. By 1600, many Western nations
had adopted a revised calendar called the Gregorian calendar. This calendar, the
one used today, restored January 1 as New Year's Day. Great Britain and its
colonies in America adopted it in 1752.

Many people celebrate the new year on dates established by their religion. For
example, the Jewish New Year, a solemn occasion called Rosh Ha-Shanah, is
observed during September or early October. Hindus in different parts of India
celebrate the new year on various dates. Muslims use a calendar that has 354 days
in most years. As a result, the Muslim New Year falls on different dates from
year to year on the Gregorian calendar.

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