A Little New Year's Eve History as We Welcome 2021

This coming Friday, we will gratefully usher in 2021, hoping for a much brighter, less tragic year, one in which we can see each other again without fear and collect those long overdue hugs and handshakes. As you Zoom-celebrate with your friends and family, you may adhere to some tried-and-true traditions. Many of us will sit in front of our televisions and watch the ball drop in Times Square. We may have a glass or two of something bubbly and sing either the Scottish or the English version of the song we most closely associate with ending an old year and beginning a new one, “Auld Lang Syne.” Do you know the origins of these beloved New Year’s traditions?