Hogmanay is Scotland’s traditional New Year’s Eve celebration, beginning on December 31.
The word refers to the Scottish observance of the new year and can describe festivities lasting beyond the evening itself. Modern Hogmanay events may include concerts, street parties, torchlight processions, fireworks, and gatherings in homes and public squares.
A central custom is first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune. Customs vary by region, but gifts such as shortbread, whisky, or coal have been associated with the practice. Singing Auld Lang Syne is also strongly linked with Scottish New Year celebrations.
Hogmanay is not the same as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it Scotland’s national day, St Andrew’s Day, observed on November 30.