The first person traditionally welcomed into a Scottish home after midnight on New Year’s Eve is called the first-footer.
First-footing is a Hogmanay custom in which the first visitor to cross a household’s threshold after midnight is believed to influence the home’s luck for the coming year. The visitor traditionally brings symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, a black bun, or whisky.
Traditionally, a tall, dark-haired man was often considered a particularly lucky first-footer, while customs and preferences vary by region and family. The visitor’s arrival mattered because the household was beginning a new year through hospitality and exchange.
The term is sometimes confused with Hogmanay itself, but they are not synonyms. Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year celebration, while first-footing names the visiting custom and first-footer names the visitor.