The Scottish New Year’s Eve tradition in which the first visitor to enter a home brings luck is called first-footing.
The first foot is the first person to cross a household’s threshold after midnight. In traditional belief, the visitor’s arrival could influence the family’s fortunes for the coming year. Customs differ by region and period, but a dark-haired male visitor was sometimes considered especially lucky.
A first-footer might bring symbolic gifts such as coal for warmth, bread or shortbread for food, salt for flavor, and whisky for hospitality. The visitor was also expected to offer good wishes to the household.
Modern first-footing is generally a friendly social custom rather than a strict superstition. It is closely associated with Hogmanay and remains familiar in Scotland, although contemporary celebrations may use different gifts and may not follow older ideas about the visitor’s appearance.