Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year festival celebrated around December 31 and January 1.
The word refers to the Scottish observance of the passing year and the arrival of the next one. Celebrations commonly include public gatherings, music, dancing, fireworks, and the custom of first-footing, in which the first person to enter a household after midnight brings symbolic gifts or good wishes.
Edinburgh hosts one of the world’s most famous Hogmanay programs, but the festival is celebrated throughout Scotland. Customs differ between communities, and some traditions continue into January 2, which is a bank holiday in Scotland.
Hogmanay is sometimes confused with Burns Night, held on January 25 to honor poet Robert Burns. It is also distinct from Up Helly Aa, a fire festival held in Shetland that is not Scotland’s general name for New Year celebrations.