If you're spending New Year in Edinburgh, or any Scottish city, or in fact any city, anywhere, that's ever had a Scottish person affiliated with it, then chances are you'll hear a rousing chorus of 'Auld Lang Syne' break out at some point. The song is inextricably linked with Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, though it's a common misconception that he actually composed it - instead he's largely credited with 'collecting' the song from traditional oral folk singers, and probably adding/amending a few lines himself when it came to writing it down.
Regardless of its authorship, 'Auld Lang Syne' (which roughly translates as 'times long past') remains a byword for celebrating long-lasting friendship and community - an ideal that's pretty heavily underlined when you're linking arms with several thousand fellow revellers on Princes Street. Unless you're attending the most traditional of Scottish Hogmanay parties, you probably won't be required to know all five verses, but it's worthwhile having a stab at remembering the first couple (and the chorus of course). We've included the full thing below, just in case:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin' auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS
See Time Out's guide to New Year in Edinburgh.