Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish celebration of New Year’s Eve.
The word Hogmanay refers to the final day of the year and, by extension, the Scottish festivities surrounding New Year. Celebrations often include street parties, concerts, torchlight processions, fireworks, and gatherings in cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.
A famous Hogmanay custom is first-footing. After midnight, the first person to enter a household is traditionally expected to bring good fortune, sometimes symbolized by gifts such as shortbread, coal, salt, or whisky. Dark-haired first-footers were historically considered especially lucky in some areas.
Scotland’s New Year customs developed within a broader winter festival tradition. The celebration is distinct from Christmas in historical importance because Christmas was legally restricted as a holiday in Scotland for centuries after the Reformation. Modern Hogmanay combines older customs with large public events and contemporary entertainment.