The Scottish New Year's Eve custom of visiting someone first after midnight is called first-footing.
In first-footing, the first person to enter a household after midnight is known as the first-foot. Scottish tradition holds that this visitor can influence the household's luck for the coming year. A traditional first-foot might bring symbolic gifts such as shortbread, coal, salt, or whisky, representing food, warmth, flavor, and good cheer.
Historical versions of the custom often favored a tall, dark-haired male visitor, although modern celebrations are much less rigid and vary by family and region. The first-foot generally does not count as someone already inside the home at midnight; the defining moment is the first arrival afterward.
First-footing is connected with Hogmanay but is not another name for Hogmanay itself. Hogmanay covers the broader Scottish New Year celebration. The custom also differs from singing “Auld Lang Syne,” which is a separate musical tradition commonly associated with New Year's gatherings.