Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year festival whose events include a torchlight procession in Edinburgh.
The word Hogmanay refers to New Year’s Eve and the associated celebrations in Scotland. Edinburgh’s modern festival can include a torchlight procession, concerts, street celebrations, and a large midnight gathering, although exact programming changes from year to year.
Scottish Hogmanay traditions also include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is associated with the household’s luck. Common symbolic gifts can include food, drink, or coal, reflecting wishes for warmth and abundance.
Hogmanay is different from Burns Night, which commemorates poet Robert Burns on January 25. It is also separate from St Andrew’s Day on November 30. The festival’s customs combine older seasonal practices with modern public events.