Holiday Fun Fact: About "Auld Lang Syne"

By Michael Masterson

"Auld Lang Syne" -- a very old Scottish song -- is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country to welcome the New Year. The title translates to "Old Long Ago." In English, we would say "The Good Old Days."

Bandleader Guy Lombardo is said to have added the song to his repertoire after hearing it sung by Scottish immigrants in his hometown of London, Ontario. Lombardo played it at midnight during a New Year's Eve party at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1929. A tradition was born. Since then, his version of the song has been the standard.

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Today's Words That Work: Juggernaut

Juggernaut (JUG-er-nawt) is an overpowering, unstoppable force. The word is derived from Jagannath (Sanskrit for "lord of the world"), an avatar of the Hindu god Krishna. It is said that worshippers -- in a fit of religious fervor -- would throw themselves under the wheels of a huge cart that carried an idol of Krishna in an annual procession in India.

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2844, 12-30-09], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.