The annual Hogmanay street party takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve and the surrounding celebrations. Edinburgh's modern festival developed into a large organized event featuring concerts, processions, fireworks, and a major street gathering in the city center. Princes Street and the area around Edinburgh Castle are closely associated with its public celebrations.
The festival's customs connect modern entertainment with older Scottish traditions. First-footing, for example, involves the first person to enter a home after midnight bringing symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky. The custom reflects hopes for warmth, food, prosperity, and good fortune in the coming year.
Edinburgh is sometimes confused with other Scottish cities that hold their own Hogmanay events, especially Glasgow and Aberdeen. However, the internationally known large-scale street party is specifically Edinburgh's Hogmanay. Weather and public-safety conditions can occasionally lead organizers to cancel or alter outdoor events.