Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebration includes the Torchlight Procession.
The procession is a major opening event of Edinburgh's New Year festivities. Participants carry flaming torches through the city, creating a moving river of light before the main Hogmanay celebrations. The route has changed over time, but the procession has traditionally connected central Edinburgh with the city's historic landscape and public gathering places.
Modern Edinburgh's Hogmanay developed into a large, organized festival featuring concerts, street parties, and the midnight fireworks associated with Edinburgh Castle. The torchlight event is distinct from first-footing, the Scottish custom of visiting friends or neighbors after midnight with symbolic gifts.
The word Hogmanay refers to the Scottish New Year's celebration itself, not only the procession. Edinburgh is particularly famous for its version, but Hogmanay events take place across Scotland, with local customs and programs varying from one town to another.