Scotland’s traditional New Year celebration is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay refers to Scottish New Year festivities, especially those held on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Major celebrations can include torchlight processions, street parties, concerts, fireworks, and the custom of “first-footing,” in which the first person to enter a home after midnight brings symbolic gifts.
The exact origin of the word Hogmanay is uncertain. Proposed influences include Norse, French, Gaelic, and Scots terms, reflecting Scotland’s long history of cultural contact. Edinburgh’s public Hogmanay events became internationally prominent through large concerts, processions, and fireworks.
A common mix-up is treating Hogmanay as only one particular party. It is a broad seasonal tradition, while “first-footing” is one custom within it. “Auld Lang Syne” is also strongly associated with Scottish New Year celebrations, although the song is not the name of the festival.