First-footing is the Scottish New Year's Day custom of visiting friends and family after midnight.
The first-foot is the first person to enter a household after midnight on New Year's Day. Traditional folklore held that this visitor could influence the household's luck for the year ahead. A tall, dark-haired man was once widely considered a particularly lucky first-foot in some Scottish traditions.
Visitors traditionally brought symbolic gifts. Coal represented warmth, shortbread represented food, salt symbolized prosperity or preservation, and whisky provided hospitality. Customs vary by region and family, and modern first-footing may be much less formal than historical practice.
The tradition is closely linked with Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year celebration. It should not be confused with guising, a Halloween practice involving children visiting homes in disguise, or a ceilidh, which is a social gathering featuring traditional music and dancing.