Scotland's New Year's Eve celebration is commonly called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scots name for the Scottish New Year festival, with celebrations often continuing into January 1 and January 2. Customs vary across Scotland and include parties, singing, fireworks, torchlit events, and “first-footing,” in which the first visitor to enter a home after midnight is thought to influence the household's luck.
The origins of the word Hogmanay are disputed. Scholars have proposed connections with Scandinavian, Gaelic, French, and other linguistic sources, so no single etymology is universally accepted. The festival's modern form also reflects a mixture of older winter customs and later urban celebrations.
The song “Auld Lang Syne,” strongly associated with Scottish poet Robert Burns, is often sung at Hogmanay and New Year's celebrations internationally. Scotland's events differ by city: Edinburgh hosts major public festivities, while communities throughout the country maintain their own traditions.