Edinburgh’s famous New Year’s Eve festival is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the final day of the year and the arrival of the new year. Edinburgh’s modern festival has included large public street parties, concerts, torchlight processions, and fireworks, making it one of the best-known New Year celebrations in the world.
The word Hogmanay has uncertain origins, and scholars have proposed several possible linguistic sources. Scottish customs associated with the occasion include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky. Hogmanay is sometimes confused with Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. They are separate Scottish celebrations, although both can involve Scottish music, food, and cultural traditions.