"Auld Lang Syne" is a song by Robert Burns (1759-1796), although a similar poem by Robert Ayton (1570-1638), as well as older folk songs, use the same phrase, and may well have inspired Burns. In any case, it is one of the better-known songs in English-speaking countries, and it is often sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day. Like many other frequently sung songs, the melody is better remembered than the words, which are often sung incorrectly, and seldom in full. "Auld lang syne" literally means "old long since" - but a more idiomatic English translation would be something like "long ago", "days of long ago", "in olden days", or even "once upon a time". The song is commonly accompanied by a traditional dance. The group who is singing forms a ring, first holding hands, then the arms are crossed and again linked, and finally everyone moves in to the center of the ring and then out again. In essence, an early morning drunken Hokey-Pokey.
