“Auld Lang Syne,” traditionally sung at the conclusion of New Year gatherings in Scotland and around the world, is long heralded as THE New Year’s Eve song, now sung alongside its U.S. contemporary, “New York, New York” at ball drop. Maybe it’s my Scottish roots or sentiments for the past, but in my experience, the tradition of “Auld Lang Syne” is a most appropriate cut for entering into the new year, every year.
The song begins by posing a rhetorical question. Is it right that old times be forgotten? The answer is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships, the good times.
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, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbor on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms, and the metaphor is literally danced into. Old and new friends begin by reflecting in toward each other, and finish facing outward, ready for new beginnings, still holding onto one another. For anyone ever involved in Girl Scouts, this is also the “make new friends, keep the old” handshake, one of my favorite traditions in the organization.
You can find every rendition of the song under the sun, but those who stick to the traditional melody in a folky acoustic way stir my heart the most. The proper mix of lament and hope, honoring the present while remembering the past and seeking the best for the new year, all delivered simply and honestly.
While it could be commonly dismissed as a drinking song, I have learned this year to appreciate those verses of toasting too. It has been my luck to get to know so many beautiful new friends over a traditional Wisconsin “cup of kindness” and reacquaint myself with friends long remembered holding hands over a pint.
So, for me, the answer to the question is no and a little bit of yes. I will bring forward the best, and not fully forget the worst. As with all light, you cannot appreciate its presence without recalling its absence.
And my hope for 2017? That we will all take a cup of kindness yet, to be ever shared and remembered.
Gently Rise, Softly Call 