Hogmanay is the Scottish name for the New Year's Eve celebration beginning on December 31.
The word describes both the night itself and the wider Scottish New Year festival, whose customs can continue into January 1 and January 2. Scotland's celebrations combine public gatherings, music, torchlight processions, visiting, gift-giving, and traditional songs such as “Auld Lang Syne.”
One famous custom is first-footing. The first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring luck, sometimes carrying symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky. In some regions, a tall, dark-haired first-footer was historically considered especially fortunate.
Hogmanay is not simply another name for Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns in January, or St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day on November 30. Its distinctive customs reflect Scotland's own calendar and local traditions.