{"id":2029,"date":"2025-12-09T22:18:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T22:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianregency.com\/blog\/?p=2029"},"modified":"2025-12-09T22:18:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T22:18:33","slug":"days-gone-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/09\/days-gone-by\/","title":{"rendered":"For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Happy<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve and it seems we\u2019re all experiencing a bit of “Cinderella Syndrome”\u2026 We have up until midnight before 2012\u2019s party comes to a close and a new fairy tale is ushered in.<\/p>

\"Fire<\/a><\/div>\n

It\u2019s exciting, isn\u2019t it? The slate is wiped clean and anything is possible in the new year! We\u2019ve got a new chapter to write in our lives. We’ll have a\u00a0new story to tell. And whether we\u2019re singing, dancing or making merry on this happiest of holidays, the door to possibility is wide open with the simple tick of the clock!<\/p>\n

So how will we spend those final moments of the year? Some of us may revel in the possibilities \u2013 What delights will the new year bring<\/i>? (Eat, drink and be merry, maybe? Luke 12:19<\/a>) Others might look back to days gone by \u2013 Shall we sing another chorus of Auld Lang Syne <\/a>and think fondly on years past<\/i>? (After all, there is a time for everything under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:2-8<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
\nand never brought to mind ?
\nShould old acquaintance be forgot,
\nand old lang syne ?<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We\u2019ve probably all had an opportunity to sing it a time or two\u2026<\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve joined in with the enormous crowds that link arm in arm at New York\u2019s Times Square and sway back and forth while the familiar notes play. Possibly you\u2019ve watched as director Frank Capra\u2019s iconic character George Bailey<\/a> comes to truly appreciate the years he\u2019s lived and joins in with the singing at the end of the wildly popular Christmas film, It\u2019s a Wonderful Life <\/i>(1946). Or as you circle around the fireplace with loved ones near, maybe you\u2019ve hummed along with the notes to ring in January 1st<\/sup>. However it\u2019s celebrated or sung, this song is ingrained in our American culture and in those English-speaking countries around the globe. Arguably, it is the song to define the transition from one year to the next, whether we joyfully welcome the new year or lament on days long past\u2026 It signifies the transition from the Christmas holiday season to the possibilities of the new year beyond.<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/a>
Photo: Robertburns.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Often referred to as \u201cthe World\u2019s National Anthem\u201d (because of the association with New Year\u2019s celebrations the world over) and \u201cthe Song that Nobody Knows\u201d (because the tune is recognized but the lyrics often forgotten), Auld Lang Syne <\/i>was written by celebrated Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns<\/a> in 1788. Conflicting accounts state that it was an original work\u00a0penned by Burns, while others reference his compilation of James Watson\u2019s formerly published ballad “Old Long Syne<\/em>\u201d (1711). Nevertheless, Burns\u2019 version was included with other compiled and original works for a collection sent to the Scots Musical Museum publication with the following note:<\/p>\n

“The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man.” <\/i>(Lindsay, Maurice.<\/em> \u201cAuld Lang Syne\u201d. The Burns Encyclopedia<\/a>. 1959)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

While the literal English translation for Burns\u2019 Auld Lang Syne <\/i>\u00a0title is \u201cold long since\u201d, there are many interpretations that have made their way into popular culture: \u201clong, long ago\u201d, \u201cdays gone by\u201d, \u00a0\u00a0and \u201cold times\u201d to name a few. I especially love the contemporary connection to the phrase \u201cIn days of auld lang syne\u201d, which Scottish novelist Matthew Fitt used to liken his retelling of fairy tales to the familiar storybook beginning, \u201cOnce upon a time\u2026\u201d<\/a>\u00a0From Elvis Presley to Billy Joel, Rod Stewart to Prince and Miles Davis, modern-day celebrities have\u00a0taken turns\u00a0performing their renditions of the popular song as a part of accepted holiday revelry. Most recently, actress Lea Michele (of Glee<\/i> fame) sang her own version of the song in the 2011 film New Year\u2019s Eve<\/a>. <\/i>(It was not my favorite film by any stretch of the imagination, but Lea\u2019s rendition of the much-loved song was fresh and electric!)<\/p>\n

\"wiki<\/a>
Photo: Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether we feel like Cinderella or not, it won\u2019t be long before the clock on the wall clicks over to midnight and we\u2019re all officially a part of 2013.\u00a0 As we all join in the celebration of a new year, I hope you\u2019ll take a look at the lyrics and as the familiar tune begins to play, remember the magic in the words written so long ago. (You just might be the only person to get the words right if you\u2019re caught singing in the Times Square crowd! <wink<\/em>>) Like the Bible, which was written so long ago but has truth that still breathes life today, Burns\u2019 version of Auld Lang Syne<\/i> has\u00a0managed to stand\u00a0the test of time from the Regency Era to 2013.<\/p>\n

We here at Regency Reflections hope that you not only have the memories of days gone by to keep you warm in the upcoming winter months, but we pray for God\u2019s loving provision to bring you joy in the all the years ahead.<\/p>\n

May you be richly blessed in the new year and beyond!<\/p>\n

\"Jeremiah<\/a><\/p>\n

In His Love,<\/p>\n

Kristy<\/p>\n

Originally posted 2012-12-31 10:00:00. <\/small><\/p>

\"Listen<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve and it seems we\u2019re all experiencing a bit of “Cinderella Syndrome”\u2026 We have up until midnight before 2012\u2019s party comes to a close and a new fairy tale is ushered in. It\u2019s exciting, isn\u2019t it? The slate is wiped clean and anything is possible in the new year! We\u2019ve got a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10,184,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","category-holiday","category-new-years","category-seasons"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2029"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2055,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2029\/revisions\/2055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}