The most famous song to be sung at midnight on December 31 must be “Auld Lang Syne”, by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. I wondered how a Scottish poem became a New Year’s Eve tradition in America.
The New Year’s Eve festivities taking place in New York City’s Times Square were televised for the first time in 1943. Guy Lombardo’s dance band was performing live while the TV viewers waited for midnight. Lombardo decided to close out his New Year’s Eve performances with the song “Auld Lang Syne”.
The audience loved it. He made the song a New Year’s tradition. This yearly television exposure encouraged Americans to adopt as their own, the custom of singing “Auld Lang Syne” to bid farewell to the old year.
Originally written in the Scots language, it can be challenging to understand what the song is trying to express. “Auld Lang Syne” in the poem directly translates to “old long since,” meaning, essentially, times gone by. The English translation is something like this:
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And old long since.
~ Robert Burns
Is reminiscing a good idea?
From reading the lyrics, I get the impression that the song is asking if reminiscing and remembering is a good idea, or should the past simply be forgotten.
Quality time of reminiscing includes both sharing and listening. I love reminiscing – especially with my sister Peggy. We have a shared history and a lifetime of memories. A recent trip to visit her included quite a bit of recollecting. It did my heart good to enjoy chatting with her about both the old and the new.
“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou
Remembering and reminiscing
I was visiting one day with a lady I met at our YMCA. During our conversation, she told me the place we were standing had special meaning for her. Explaining, she said, not so long ago, she was part of a group that called themselves The Old Ladies. They got together regularly to swim, exercise, and visit. As time went on, the group got smaller and smaller until only two were left. They became great exercise buddies. Then one day, her companion passed away. The very spot we were standing in always reminded her of the good times she shared with her dear friend.
I understand what she means. I have a friend who lives thousands of miles away. I miss spending time with her. We are both tea drinkers, so sometimes when I am making a cup of tea, I think of her and some of our lovely conversations, often pausing to offer a prayer on her behalf and hope all is well in her part of the world.
My Mama was a wonderful reminisce-r. She had a lot of stories from her childhood. As dementia began to take its toll, her storytelling became more frequent – and repetitive. Over time, the variety of stories narrowed down to just a few, although the repetitiveness increased. We enjoyed hearing her tales from long ago, and she enjoyed telling them. Sharing memories seemed to provide her with a great measure of satisfaction. And, since Mama quickly forgot what she had just said, she was able to receive that great feeling that comes from contributing to a conversation over and over.
An article in Considerable.com titled “There are 6 types of reminiscing — but only 3 are good for you”, emphasizes that “We may not be able to go back and change what has already happened, but we can engage with our memories in a productive way.”
According to South Dakota State University, the act of reminiscing can be good for mental health. They share that in a study of almost 50 nursing home residents, the group demonstrated improvements in depression and loneliness upon completion of various exercises including sharing memories, life events, family history, and personal accomplishments.
Another New Year’s tradition
Resolutions! The new year often brings with it certain hopes and aspirations. We tell ourselves that possibly this year we will do better, be better, and live better. Due to COVID, many folks have lost touch with one another. With safety precautions in place, perhaps 2022 would be a good year to re-connect with an old friend or loved one. Catch up and remember lovely and meaningful times in the past. Resolve to do more reminiscing, it will do your heart good.
Has your world been touched by dementia?
My book, “FinishingWell: Finding Joy in Dementia”, is a collection of stories and tips about doing life with my Mama. May it encourage and inspire you to find joy on your own, unique journey. Find our group on Facebook
I’ve always loved that picture of you and Aunt Peggy.
Me too! It’s one of my favorites.