Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party is traditionally held in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve and also the name used for Scotland’s New Year celebrations. Edinburgh’s modern festival developed into a large organized event featuring concerts, processions, fireworks, and gatherings along the city’s central streets. Princes Street and the area below Edinburgh Castle have been especially associated with the main festivities.
One important part of the wider Scottish celebration is first-footing. The first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good luck, sometimes carrying symbolic gifts such as food, drink, coal, or salt. Customs differ by region and household.
Edinburgh’s events have not occurred every year in exactly the same form. Organizers have canceled or changed celebrations because of severe weather, public-health restrictions, and safety concerns. Even so, the city remains internationally associated with Hogmanay, while Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee hold their own Scottish New Year events.