Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations, including the major festivities held in Edinburgh.
The word refers both to the final day of the year and to the customs surrounding the arrival of the New Year. Its exact origin is uncertain, and proposed explanations connect it with French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots traditions. No single etymology has been conclusively established.
Scottish Hogmanay customs include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to influence the household's luck. Traditional gifts can include shortbread, coal, salt, and whisky. The ideal first-footer was historically a tall, dark-haired man, though modern celebrations are less strict.
Edinburgh's modern festival includes concerts, street parties, fireworks, and a torchlight procession. Large public celebrations were restricted for periods in the past, but the event is now one of Scotland's best-known cultural festivals.