Hogmanay is the Scottish name for the New Year's Eve festival celebrated with fire, singing, and street parties.
The word refers broadly to Scotland's New Year's celebrations, which can include torchlight processions, concerts, ceilidh dancing, and the singing of “Auld Lang Syne.” Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of the best-known modern celebrations, with events around the city and crowds gathered in the historic centre.
A traditional custom called first-footing holds that the first person to enter a household after midnight can influence its luck. Gifts such as shortbread, whisky, or coal have historically been associated with the visitor.
Hogmanay is sometimes confused with Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. It is also distinct from Up Helly Aa, a fire festival held in Shetland, usually in January rather than at New Year's Eve.