Why We Toast, Smooch, Sing 'Auld Lang Syne'

Dec. 30, 2006 — -- We toast. We kiss at midnight. We even stumble through the lyrics of a song we're not sure we know the words to. But why?

This year, as millions of Americans finalize New Year's celebration plans, the traditions of the holiday season are never far from thoughts and actions. The origin of why we do what we do sometimes reveals good reasons to hold onto the old while ushering in the new year.

Perhaps the most iconic image of a New Year's Eve celebration is the highly anticipated midnight kiss. And according to German and English folklore, there is reason to plan ahead for the smooch.

Legend emphasizes that the first person you come in contact with in the New Year -- be it a friendly face or an unfavorable acquaintance -- is indicative of the luck that awaits you in the coming year.

In more recent times, the midnight kiss has been thought of as a telling sign of the year to come in matters of the heart.

For those serious about scheduling their luck, online communities like Craigslist have been filling up with posts for those partygoers looking to book a kiss on the big night.

A recently single 25-year-old Manhattanite posted: "Looking for a romantic girl to kiss New Year's Eve in Times Square."

A Craigslister in Chicago waxes nostalgic, "Of all the holiday relationship joys, that is the one that I miss the most, as the countdown winds itself to 1."

A search term like "New Year's Eve kiss" can lead you to a countless number of others looking to find the same.

"I've never been kissed on New Year's Eve," says one user. "I'm crossing my fingers for this year."

Often described as the world's most popular song no one knows the words to, "Auld Lang Syne" has become something of a soundtrack for midnight on New Year's Eve.

The title of the Scottish tune translates to "times gone by" and is about remembering friends from the past and not letting them be forgotten.

Despite its strong association with New Year's Eve, "Auld Lang Syne," written by Robert Burns in the 1700s, was never intended to be a holiday song. Guy Lombardo is credited with popularizing the song when his band used it as a segue between two radio programs during a live performance at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in 1929.  By mere coincidence, they played "Auld Lang Syne" just after the clock hit midnight, and a New Year's tradition was born.