Hogmanay is Edinburgh's famous festival of torchlight processions and street parties around New Year's Eve.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve and the associated celebrations. Edinburgh's modern festival developed into a large public event featuring concerts, a torchlight procession, fireworks, and crowds gathering along the city's central streets. The exact programme changes from year to year.
The celebration reflects older Scottish customs as well as modern city event planning. One well-known tradition is first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight is expected to bring good fortune, sometimes symbolized by gifts such as whisky, shortbread, coal, or salt.
Hogmanay should not be confused with Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25, or the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a major arts festival held mainly in August. Scotland's New Year period has historically included several holidays, helping make Hogmanay a particularly prominent national celebration.