Scotland's traditional New Year's Eve celebration, especially associated with Edinburgh, is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for the last day of the year and the celebrations surrounding it. Modern events can include torchlight processions, concerts, street parties, and fireworks. Edinburgh's organized festivities became internationally prominent, but Hogmanay customs are observed throughout Scotland rather than belonging to one city alone.
A major tradition connected with Hogmanay is first-footing. The first person to enter a household after midnight traditionally brings symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky. In some accounts, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky as the first visitor, though practices vary by region and family.
Hogmanay is distinct from Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25, and from St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day on November 30. The word's precise origin is disputed, with proposed links to Scandinavian, French, and Gaelic terms.