Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve and the wider Scottish New Year celebration.
The word refers both to the night of December 31 and, in common usage, to the celebrations surrounding the New Year. Scottish Hogmanay customs include singing “Auld Lang Syne,” visiting friends and family, first-footing, torchlight processions, and public street parties. Exact traditions vary by region and household.
First-footing is the custom of being the first person to enter a home after midnight. Traditionally, the first footer brought symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky, representing warmth, food, flavor, and good cheer. In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky as the first visitor.
Hogmanay is distinct from Burns Night, which honors Robert Burns on January 25, and Up Helly Aa, a fire festival associated especially with Shetland. The word Hogmanay itself is the concise answer for Scotland's New Year's Eve tradition.