The Scottish name for New Year’s Eve celebrations is Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is Scotland’s traditional observance of the final day of the year, although celebrations commonly continue into New Year’s Day and January 2. Its customs combine older winter and New Year traditions with later Scottish social practices. Large public events are especially associated with Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other Scottish cities.
Well-known Hogmanay customs include singing “Auld Lang Syne,” first-footing, torchlight processions, fireworks, and communal street parties. In first-footing, the first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune, with gifts such as food or drink sometimes carried as symbolic offerings.
Hogmanay is not the same event as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it identical to the Shetland fire festival Up Helly Aa, held in winter but centered on Viking-themed processions. The word’s precise origin remains uncertain.