The Scottish New Year's Eve tradition of welcoming the first visitor after midnight is called first-footing.
The first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight is known as the first-foot. Traditionally, this visitor brings symbolic presents, often including coal for warmth, shortbread or black bun for food, salt for flavor, and whisky for hospitality. The gifts express hopes for comfort and prosperity in the year ahead.
Older custom often favored a tall, dark-haired male visitor, partly because historical folklore associated a fair-haired first visitor with Viking raids. Modern celebrations vary widely, and many families treat the tradition as a welcoming social ritual rather than a strict superstition.
First-footing is closely linked with Hogmanay but is not a synonym for it. Hogmanay names Scotland's broader New Year's celebration, while first-footing describes one particular household custom performed after midnight.