Scotland's New Year's Eve celebration, famous for its fire festivals and public gatherings, is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and the Scottish celebration of New Year's Eve. Its customs developed through a mixture of medieval winter traditions, local Scottish practices, and influences associated with the Reformation period, when Christmas celebrations were often restricted in Scotland.
Celebrations can include torchlit processions, singing, dancing, fireworks, concerts, and the first-footing custom. First-footing refers to the first person entering a household after midnight, traditionally carrying symbolic gifts such as food, drink, or coal. Customs differ among communities, so no single ritual represents every Scottish celebration.
Edinburgh hosts one of the best-known modern Hogmanay events, combining a torchlight procession with a large city-centre party and concerts. Stonehaven's fireball ceremony is another famous Scottish New Year's tradition, in which participants swing flaming balls above their heads. Hogmanay is therefore broader than any one event or location.