The Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations is Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is Scotland's traditional celebration of the last day of the year and the festivities surrounding the arrival of the new year. Edinburgh's modern celebration is internationally known for torchlight processions, concerts, street events, and a large midnight fireworks display. Celebrations also take place across Scotland, with local customs differing from city to city and village to village.
One important Hogmanay custom is first-footing. The first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune, often arriving with symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky. In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired first-footer is considered especially lucky.
Hogmanay is not the same holiday as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it interchangeable with St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day on November 30. The word's exact origin remains debated, with proposed links to several languages and medieval terms.