\n
With the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, this year\u2019s New Year celebrations were likely to have had a welcome and more traditional feel about them. Many of us will have planned to enjoy parties and join in the traditional singing of \u2018Auld Lang Syne\u2019 at the stroke of midnight on New Year\u2019s Eve. A good time perhaps, to remind ourselves about its surprisingly interesting history and influence around the world.<\/p>\n
The story starts in Scotland with the poet Robert Burns (right) . He is credited with![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/r-burns.jpg?resize=250%2C345\")
adapting and partially rewriting an old Scots -language poem or folk song in 1788. That year Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, \u2018The 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.\u2019 In 1799, it was set to a traditional tune, which is basically the one we are familiar with today.<\/p>\n
One interesting story about Auld Lang Syne involves Queen Elizabeth II. At Hogmanay in Scotland, it is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse (And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!\/and gie’s a hand o’ thine!), everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. Outside Scotland the hands are often crossed from the beginning of the song, at variance with Scottish custom. The Scottish practice was demonstrated by Queen Elizabeth II at the Millennium Dome celebrations for the year 2000. Some press outlets berated her for not \u2018properly\u2019 crossing her arms, unaware that she was correctly following the Scottish tradition.<\/p>\n
In Scotland, it is often sung at the end of a c\u00e8ilidh, a dance, and at weddings. At weddings, it is performed in the same way as at New Year, but the bride and groom are often lifted up in the centre of the circle. The tune is also played, and sung by the crowd, in the final stages of the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo. In Great Britain, it is sung at the end of the Last Night of the Proms and played at the close of the annual Congress (conference) of the Trades Union Congress. The song is also played at the Passing Out Parade of Young Officers in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as well as at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, for young officers joining the British Army. It also has a similar role in countries who are members or former members of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada, India, Pakistan, Singapore and Bangladesh.<\/p>\n
In fact it is also widely known and popularly sung in many countries, especially English speaking ones. The song is widely used by the international Scout Movement, at the closing of jamborees and other occasions. In the Netherlands, the melody is used as the Dutch football song “Wij houden van Oranje” (“We Love Orange”), performed by Andr\u00e9 Hazes. In Thailand the lyrics have been adapted as a patriotic song about the King and national unity, although many Thais are not aware of the song’s Western origin. Most surprisingly perhaps, before 1972, Auld Lang Syne was even the tune for the national anthem of the Maldives and using the current words!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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\u2018AULD LANG SYNE\u2019 AND A WARM WELCOME TO 2023 With the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, this year\u2019s New Year celebrations were likely to have had a welcome and more traditional feel about them. Many of us will have planned to enjoy parties and join in the traditional singing of \u2018Auld Lang Syne\u2019 at the stroke of midnight […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[228],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-3j1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13924,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13924","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":0},"title":"New Year Traditions In Wales","author":"Alan Williams","date":"13th February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"NEW YEAR TRADITIONS IN WALES \u00a0 As we in Wenvoe celebrate the arrival of the New Year with a bottle of fizz, watching the fireworks from around the world on television, and by singing a few lines of Auld Lang Syne, there are many very old New Year's traditions in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Readers Articles of Interest"","block_context":{"text":"Readers Articles of Interest","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=228"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Picture1-249x300.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16996,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16996","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":1},"title":"What\u2019s In A Name?","author":"Alan Williams","date":"29th May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"ARTICLES of GENERAL INTEREST WHAT\u2019S IN A NAME? A short time ago Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected as our new First Minister here in Wales. Since then, I have been surprised by the number of people who have contacted me asking me to translate and explain his name! As for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Interest Articles"","block_context":{"text":"General Interest Articles","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=334"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Rhun.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13787,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13787","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":2},"title":"St. Mary\u2019s Church News – October 2023","author":"Alan Williams","date":"4th November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"0CTOBER REPORT It is a pleasure to report that the Village Show and the Picnic in the church grounds was a tremendous success. It brought together the village in support of St. Mary\u2019s building fund and raised a staggering amount of \u00a31500.12. Grateful thanks to Glenys and Mike Tucker and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "St Mary's Parish Church News"","block_context":{"text":"St Mary's Parish Church News","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16083,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=16083","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":3},"title":"October Church News","author":"Alan Williams","date":"1st October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"October Church News Greetings to you all from the congregation at St. Mary\u2019s Church. First a correction to the September Church News. The refurbishment of the Church Hall has been funded by the donations from members of the congregation who wish to see the hall restored to encourage more use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Items for October 2025"","block_context":{"text":"New Items for October 2025","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=426"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13053,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=13053","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":4},"title":"February Report","author":"Alan Williams","date":"14th March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"FEBRUARY REPORT Dear Readers, Welcome to this month\u2019s report on the GOOD NEWS to be given to the faithful worshippers in St. Mary\u2019s every Sunday at 9.30am. By the time you are reading this page, we will have been in the solemn season of Lent since Ash Wednesday on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "St Mary's Parish Church News"","block_context":{"text":"St Mary's Parish Church News","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10431,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=10431","url_meta":{"origin":12711,"position":5},"title":"Advent Windows 2021","author":"Alan Williams","date":"13th October 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"ADVENT WINDOWS A St. Mary\u2019s initiative for the whole community Following last year\u2019s success, we are inviting you to take part in lighting up your windows this Ad-vent. The Advent Windows 2021 will encourage us to wrap up warm and get out to view them throughout December. 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