Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations, especially the large public events associated with Edinburgh.
Edinburgh's modern Hogmanay program has included a torchlight procession, concerts, street festivities, and a midnight fireworks display. The word is used across Scotland, however, and does not refer only to one city's event. Customs vary by region and family.
A major associated tradition is first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune. In some versions, a dark-haired man was considered especially lucky, and gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky symbolized warmth, food, and hospitality.
Hogmanay's distinctive development was influenced by Scotland's Reformation-era restrictions on Christmas celebrations, which made New Year a particularly prominent winter festival. The name's precise origin is disputed, with proposed links to French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots-language sources.