Scotland’s New Year celebration, famous for torchlight processions and first-footing, is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve festivities, although celebrations commonly continue into New Year’s Day and beyond. Large events have taken place in cities such as Edinburgh, where concerts, street gatherings, and torchlight processions form part of the modern program.
A traditional custom is first-footing. The first person to enter a household after midnight is thought to influence the home’s luck for the year. Customs vary, but the visitor may bring symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky. A dark-haired male first-footer was historically considered especially lucky in some regions.
Hogmanay is often linked with singing “Auld Lang Syne,” whose words were published by Robert Burns in 1788. The celebration is not the same as Burns Night, which honors Burns on January 25, though both are important Scottish cultural occasions.