The traditional Scottish first visitor after midnight on New Year’s Eve is called the first-foot.
First-footing is a Hogmanay custom in which the first person to enter a household after midnight is believed to influence the home’s luck for the coming year. The visitor may bring symbolic gifts, traditionally including coal for warmth, salt, shortbread, or whisky. In some regions, a tall, dark-haired man was historically considered especially lucky, though modern practice is much less uniform.
The first-foot is not simply the first person seen outdoors or the first guest at a public party. The custom concerns entering a home after the New Year begins, and families may arrange visits among friends and relatives. Rules have varied across Scotland and over time.
Hogmanay itself is Scotland’s New Year celebration, while first-footing is one of its associated household traditions. The custom is related to older ideas about luck, hospitality, and the symbolic importance of crossing a threshold at a turning point in the calendar.