Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve celebrations, known for fire festivals, music, and communal traditions.
The word refers both to the final day of the year and to the wider Scottish New Year season. Customs vary by region, but can include torchlight processions, bonfires, singing, dancing, and visits between households after midnight. Edinburgh’s celebrations are internationally prominent, while towns across Scotland hold their own events.
Hogmanay became especially important in Scotland after the Reformation, when Christmas celebrations were restricted or treated less prominently in some communities. As a result, New Year developed into a major winter festival with distinctive Scottish identity.
The term’s exact origin is disputed. Proposed links include French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots-language sources, so no single etymology is universally accepted. Hogmanay is also not the same event as Burns Night, which commemorates Robert Burns on January 25.