Scotland's traditional New Year's celebration is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay covers Scotland's New Year customs and public festivities, especially those held on December 31 and into January 1. Edinburgh hosts one of the best-known modern celebrations, with concerts, street gatherings, fireworks, and a torchlight procession associated with the city's festival program.
Auld Lang Syne is strongly connected with Scottish New Year celebrations. The familiar song is based on a Scots poem published by Robert Burns in 1788, although Burns drew on earlier traditional material. In Scotland, first-footing—the arrival of the first person to enter a household after midnight—has also been an important custom, with gifts such as food or drink traditionally symbolizing good fortune.
Hogmanay is not the same holiday as Burns Night, which commemorates Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it Scotland's older seasonal festival Beltane. The word Hogmanay itself has a debated etymology, with several proposed French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots influences.