Hogmanay is the name of Scotland’s traditional 31 December and New Year celebration.
The word refers both to New Year’s Eve itself and to the customs and festivities surrounding the transition into the new year. Edinburgh’s modern Hogmanay is known for large concerts, street celebrations, torchlight events, and a midnight fireworks display, though individual programs vary.
Scottish Hogmanay customs include singing Auld Lang Syne and exchanging good wishes. First-footing, in which the first visitor to enter a home after midnight brings luck, is another associated practice, but Hogmanay is broader than that single tradition.
The origins of the name are uncertain. Scholars have proposed links to Scandinavian, French, Gaelic, and Scots sources, and no explanation is universally accepted. The prominence of Hogmanay in Scotland is partly connected to historical patterns of Christmas observance and church regulation, which helped make New Year the major winter festival in many communities.