Scotland’s New Year’s Eve celebration, famous for first-footing, is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the last day of the year and the New Year period. Its customs include singing “Auld Lang Syne,” visiting friends and relatives, and first-footing: being the first person to enter a household after midnight.
Traditional first-footers may bring symbolic gifts such as shortbread, coal, salt, or whisky, representing warmth, food, flavor, or good fortune. In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired male visitor was considered especially lucky, though modern celebrations are much less restrictive.
The word Hogmanay has a debated origin, with proposed roots in Scots, French, Norse, and Gaelic-related forms. Hogmanay is often confused with Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. The two celebrations share Scottish cultural elements but are separate occasions.