Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's Eve festival known for traditional celebrations and street parties.
The word Hogmanay refers to the Scottish observance of the last day of the year and the associated customs. Celebrations can include torchlight processions, concerts, fire performances, singing, and first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring symbolic good fortune.
The singing of Auld Lang Syne is strongly associated with Scotland's New Year, although it is now international. In some places, people join hands in a circle while singing the song. Customs differ across Scotland, and modern public events can be very different from household traditions.
Hogmanay is not the same as Burns Night, which honours the poet Robert Burns on January 25, nor is it Scotland's national day. The precise origin of the word remains debated. Viking winter festivals, Gaelic and Scots customs, and older midwinter practices are often discussed, but no single explanation is universally accepted.