1800s “Admiration”. By Vittorio Reggianini. Oil on canvas. This looks like a typical drawing room scene from Jane Austen’s lifetime, or the early 1800s, or the Regency Era. Via Wikimedia Commons commons.wikimedia.org
Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung to farewell the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 in Scotland, but based on an older Scottish folk song. In 1799, it was set to the traditional tune.
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.[9] Alternatively, “Should” may be understood to mean “if” (expressing the conditional mood) referring to a possible event or situation.
George Thomson‘s Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.[9]
Most common usage of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words “For the sake of” or “And days of”, rather than Burns’s simpler lines. This makes these lines strictly syllabic, with just one note per syllable.
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-stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pu’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’d i’ the burn,
Frae mornin’ sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right guid willy waught,
For auld lang syne.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And old lang syne?
(Chorus)
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We two have run about the slopes,
And picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
Since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the stream,
From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
Since auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
For auld lang syne.
1826 Almack’s Revisited by Charles White. The ball of this evening passed off as all other balls at the same place, creating envy, jealousy, and hatred in the minds of many of those who have been unsuccessful in procuring tickets; affording real amusement to few, and disappointing a greater portion of those who, by dint of manoeuvring, petitioning, parliamentary interest, or presents, have been enabled to obtain the desired vouchers; and as this was one of the last balls of the season, and a general election already talked of, the mixture of company and the number was much greater than usual; and, consequently, it was what the most correct persons called, “horrid bad Almack’s!”
Almack’s or Willis’s Rooms, King Street, St James, London, UK. Almack’s Assembly Rooms, founded by William Almack at No. 26-28, were on the site of the present Almack House. The club was originally a gaming establishment but moved from Pall Mall. The Assembly rooms were on the South side of King Street in St James’s and were opened on February 12, 1765. At the time the subscription was ten guineas for which there was a ball and supper each week for the twelve weeks of the season.
The first wedding rings can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians when they exchanged rings made from braided reeds and hemp. The tradition of exchanging rings dates back 3,000 years. The first diamond wedding ring was recorded in the will of a widow who died in 1417. The ancient Egyptians believed in the vena amoris, literally the “vein of love” that runs directly from the heart to the fourth finger on the left hand. For the Ancient Greeks, the engagement ring was symbolized with a plain gold band worn on the left hand and at the marriage the same band was shifted to the right hand.
An engagement ring is given at a proposal or when a couple decides to get married whereas a wedding ring is exchanged at the wedding ceremony and represents the official bond of marriage and the binding pledge between spouses. Wedding rings symbolise eternal love and commitment within a relationship and are worn to show the world they are married. During the wedding service, the couple will say their vows to each other while exchanging rings.
Is a wedding ring biblical? : The use of wedding ring is not commanded in the Bible, and there is no indication that it was ever practised in the New Testament. The use of finger ring in the Bible was as a symbol of authority.
Betrothal ring: An old Roman custom confirming that the marriage contract would be carried out. It was the first part of a dowry given, and meant the woman was no longer for sale as the first part of the monetary settlement had been paid. The first betrothal, or engagement, rings were given because there was often a long time between betrothals and weddings. These were usually simple bands of gold, silver, or iron as on royalty or very wealthy people could afford gemstones and diamonds. In 1477, Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned the very first diamond engagement ring for his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy, and many of the European aristocracy and nobility followed his lead.
Wedding ring: Many primitive peoples who believed in magic used a rope around the waist or the hand and feet, and later a ring, to symbolise that the bride was captured and spoken for, and also to ward off any evil spirits hovering around the bride and ensure marital bliss.
The ring hand: A symbol of the humiliating tradition of the man as the master – the right hand of the family – and the woman being the slave . The right hand stood for power and authority while the left hand expressed submission and serfdom.
The ring finger : Ancient Greek and Roman anatomists believed a vein, the vena amoris or the “vein of love”, or a nerve led from the heart to the third finger, the healing finger , so they romantically linked this finger to the heart. Now we know that this is not true and there is no vein that runs from our ring fingers to our hearts. There are also some more practical reasons the third finger continues to be used. It’s the most prominent for displaying a ring and it cannot be extended to its full length on its own and usually remains slightly bent, preventing the ring slipping off.
The Wedding Ring: Also goes on the left ring finger because it is the only finger with a vein that connects to the heart although some countries, such as India, Germany, Spain, Norway, and Russia traditionally wear their wedding rings on their right hand.
Viking Wedding Rings: These were mostly made of silver and bronze and rarely of gold with the designs inspired by Norse Gods, geometric shapes, runes, and animal totems
Gimmel Rings: In the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands gave their bride a gimmel ring with two interlocking bands. The bride and groom both wore one after their engagement and during the wedding ceremony the rings were joined and the wife wore the ring.
World Wars: During the first World War, many men on the front began wearing wedding rings as a remembrance of their wives and families at home. That custom carried through to World War Two so in the 1950s wedding rings for men became common practice.
Tri-Gold Rings: Gold is the traditional ring metal but some people prefer a mix of colors. Yellow gold represents fidelity, rose gold romantic love, and white gold friendship, so a tri-gold ring symbolizes your shared past, present, and future path. ding ring to symbolize all three, as well as your shared past, present, and future path.
Black Wedding Rings: Some couples choose black wedding bands because they represent everlasting commitment and the color can also mean power, strength and sophistication.
Anniversary or Push Ring: Given on the birth of a first child or an anniversary, usually an important one such as the first, five-year or 10-year anniversary.