At Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebration, the traditional first visitor after midnight is called the first-footer.
First-footing is a Scottish New Year's custom in which the first person to enter a household after midnight is believed to influence the household's fortune for the coming year. The visitor traditionally brings symbolic gifts, such as coal for warmth, shortbread or other food for plenty, salt, and a drink. The custom is associated with hospitality and good luck rather than with a formal civic title.
Older traditions often described a tall, dark-haired man as an especially lucky first-footer. Historical explanations commonly connect this preference with memories of Viking raids, when a fair-haired stranger at the door might have been viewed as threatening. Modern practice is much more flexible, and families may simply arrange visits among friends and relatives.
Edinburgh's public Hogmanay festivities include concerts, street events, and fireworks, but first-footing is a domestic tradition found across Scotland. A “first-footer” means the visitor, not the person who owns the home or hosts the party.