What is "AULD LANG SYNE"?

When Kissy and Channie Rose decided to name the community pool “Auld Lang Syne,” I started thinking: What does this really mean, and how in the world do I pronounce it? If I don’t look at the words, I know it’s pronounced as “old ang zing (rhymes with sign),” but when I stare at the words, I get all confused and the syllables all look mixed up. What does this tune represent all around the world, and why is it so significant to everyone? Let’s find out.

Auld Lang Syne  takes on a different meaning to cultures all around the world, and it is sung at all sorts of occasions. In Scotland it is often sung at the end of a céilidh , a traditional dance. In Taiwan, the song is used for graduations and funerals. It’s the same in Japan, but the theme is also used there to signify a store’s closing to help usher out straying customers. For all you Italian sports fans out there, the melody is sung during soccer matches, especially after the kick-off in the stadium. In the Philippines , the song plays a huge part at celebrations like graduations, New Year’s and Christmas Day.

Overall, though, the song’s meaning signifies a farewell in Spain, France, Greece and Portugal. Us U.S. folk use the song at midnight on New Year’s Eve to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the opening minutes of a brand new one.

The words “auld lang syne” literally mean “old long since.” Others have translated them as “long ago,” “in olden day,” and my favorite classic, “once upon a time.” So, it may seem a bit odd that our community pool is named after a song that means goodbye and farewell, but in Kissy and Channie Rose’s defense, I came up with something like this: Come to our community pool to swim away all your worries and stress of the day. The Auld Lang Syne Pool—a fun new place, every day.