Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations, including Edinburgh's famous festivities.
The word refers to the Scottish celebration surrounding the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Modern Edinburgh Hogmanay events commonly include concerts, a torchlight procession, street gatherings and fireworks, although programs vary by year.
Scottish New Year customs also include first-footing. Traditionally, the first person to enter a household after midnight was expected to bring symbolic gifts such as food, drink or coal. A dark-haired first-footer was historically considered especially lucky in some traditions.
Hogmanay is not the same holiday as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day on November 30. These distinct celebrations are sometimes mixed up by international visitors because all are prominent parts of Scottish cultural calendars.