What is the name of Edinburgh’s New Year festival, one of the world’s best-known Hogmanay celebrations?

Edinburgh’s New Year festival is called Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.

Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve, and Edinburgh’s celebration developed into a large public festival featuring concerts, street parties, a torchlight procession, and a midnight fireworks display. The events take place around central landmarks including Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street.

The modern festival grew substantially in the late twentieth century. It draws on Scottish customs such as first-footing and the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” while also presenting contemporary concerts and large-scale public entertainment. The torchlight procession is traditionally held before the main midnight celebrations and passes through the historic city center.

Hogmanay is not simply another name for Christmas. In Scotland, New Year has historically held particular cultural importance, and the word refers specifically to the New Year season or its celebrations. Edinburgh’s event is one example of many Scottish local Hogmanay traditions, but its organized street festival has given the city international recognition.