The New Year’s Eve tradition in which the first visitor to enter a home is believed to affect its luck is called first-footing.
First-footing is especially associated with Scotland and northern England. The first person to cross a household’s threshold after midnight is known as the first-foot. In traditional belief, this visitor could influence the household’s fortune for the coming year.
Customs vary, but a first-foot might bring symbolic gifts such as coal for warmth, bread for food, salt, a drink, or a coin for prosperity. In some Scottish traditions, a tall, dark-haired man was considered a particularly lucky first-foot, although practices differ by region and family.
The custom is related to older ideas about thresholds, hospitality, and the symbolic transition from one year to the next. It should not be confused with Hogmanay itself, which is the broader Scottish New Year celebration.