The New Year’s Eve ceremony in which people in Scotland choose a first visitor for luck is called first-footing.
The first-foot is the first person to enter a home after midnight on New Year’s Day. Traditional belief held that this visitor could influence the household’s luck for the year. A tall, dark-haired man was often considered especially fortunate in some regions, though modern practice is much less rigid.
The visitor traditionally brought useful or symbolic gifts, including coal for warmth, salt, shortbread, whisky, or black bun. In return, the first-foot might be welcomed with food and drink. Customs differed between communities and households.
First-footing is closely connected with Hogmanay but is not the name of Scotland’s entire New Year celebration. It also does not mean the first person physically seen outdoors; it specifically concerns entering a household after the midnight transition.