Hogmanay is the name of Scotland’s New Year celebration, especially associated with Edinburgh’s street parties and concerts.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for New Year’s Eve and the surrounding festivities. Edinburgh’s celebration developed into a large organized event featuring concerts, a torchlight procession, street entertainment, and a midnight fireworks display. Other Scottish towns and communities also hold their own Hogmanay traditions.
Traditional customs include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to influence the household’s luck. Gifts such as whisky, shortbread, or coal have historically been associated with the visitor, although practices vary by region and family.
Hogmanay is not the same event as Burns Night, which commemorates poet Robert Burns on January 25. It is also distinct from St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day on November 30. The word’s exact linguistic origin remains debated, but the celebration itself is firmly tied to Scotland’s winter calendar.