Hogmanay is the name of Scotland’s traditional New Year celebration featuring fire festivals and processions.
Hogmanay refers broadly to Scottish New Year customs and festivities, rather than to only one event or one city. Modern celebrations can include concerts, torchlight processions, street parties, and fireworks. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is internationally prominent, but communities throughout Scotland mark the occasion in their own ways.
The word’s origin is uncertain. Proposed connections include Scots, French, Gaelic, and Norse influences, and no single etymology is universally accepted. Older customs associated with Hogmanay include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is thought to affect the household’s luck.
Hogmanay is sometimes used as if it means the entire period from December 30 to January 1, especially when describing Edinburgh’s festival program. More precisely, it is the Scottish term for New Year’s Eve and its surrounding customs. Burns Night, held on January 25, is a separate Scottish celebration honoring poet Robert Burns.