The Scottish name for New Year’s Eve is Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is Scotland’s traditional celebration of the final day of the year and the arrival of the new one. Its customs include gatherings, singing, torchlight events, and first-footing, in which the first person to enter a household after midnight is thought to influence the household’s luck for the year.
A traditional first-footer may bring symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky. In some regions, a tall, dark-haired man was historically considered especially lucky as the first visitor, although modern celebrations are much less restrictive.
Hogmanay is sometimes treated as interchangeable with New Year’s Day, but the word most specifically refers to the New Year celebration centered on December 31 and the transition through midnight. Scotland’s public events vary by city and year, with Edinburgh hosting one of the best-known modern programs.