Auld lang syne = hurry up and go home!

Today’s 毎日驚く is about the song Auld Lang Syne in English, or 蛍の光 in Japanese. As an American, whenever I hear this familiar tune, I’m instantly reminded of New Year’s Eve. It’s often played right after the change over to the new year. Sometimes this song shows up at other events like funerals and has other associations, but it primarily holds its spot as the new year’s song. The meaning in English is roughly ‘long long ago’ and the lyrics are actually taken from an old Scottish poem.

However, this song in Japan has a slightly different meaning and association. The song, 蛍の光 or ‘the light of the firefly’ is often used at graduation ceremonies. It even has its own set of lyrics that talk about the hardships a student must go through in their quest for knowledge. This song symbolizes an end or a closing point for most Japanese people. In Japan, there’s one other place you’ll often hear it being played and that’s in stores or shops as they are closing. It serves as a reminder to customers who are still shopping that it’s closing time.

How interesting, two images for this song: graduation and hurry up and buy something and go home!