Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve and the surrounding New Year celebrations.
The word refers both to the final day of the old year and to the customs and public events associated with welcoming the new one. Celebrations can include torchlight processions, street parties, music and the singing of Auld Lang Syne, the song strongly associated with Robert Burns.
First-footing is one well-known custom. The first person to enter a household after midnight traditionally brings symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread or whisky, representing warmth, food and good fortune. In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky as the first visitor.
Hogmanay is not the name of one single Scottish city event. Edinburgh stages a famous large celebration, but the term is used across Scotland, with local customs varying by region and family.