Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year celebration that includes customs such as first-footing.
The word refers to Scotland’s New Year festivities, which can begin on New Year’s Eve and continue into January 1 and January 2. First-footing is the custom of visiting friends or neighbors after midnight; traditionally, the first person to enter a home was expected to bring symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky.
Hogmanay includes music, processions, street parties, and local customs, but practices vary across Scotland. It is often incorrectly treated as simply the Scottish name for December 31. In fact, Hogmanay describes a broader seasonal celebration. Scotland’s New Year traditions also connect with Auld Lang Syne, the song associated with Robert Burns and widely sung at midnight.