The Scottish New Year's custom in which the first visitor to a home brings good-luck gifts is called first-footing.
In the tradition, the first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight is the “first foot.” The visitor may bring symbolic items such as coal for warmth, bread for food, salt, a drink, or a silver coin. The gifts express wishes for prosperity and comfort in the year ahead, while the host traditionally offers hospitality in return.
Older customs sometimes placed importance on the first-footer's appearance or gender, and some communities considered a dark-haired man especially lucky. Such details are not universal, and modern families interpret the custom in varied ways. The important idea is the first arrival after the new year begins.
First-footing is closely associated with Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year's celebration. It is also found in related forms in parts of northern England and other areas with Scottish cultural connections. The practice should not be confused with simply visiting friends on New Year's Day.