The Scottish New Year's Eve custom in which the first visitor after midnight brings luck is called first-footing.
A first-footer is traditionally the first person to enter a home after midnight on Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year's celebration. The visitor may bring symbolic gifts such as coal for warmth, shortbread for food, or whisky for hospitality, although modern practices vary widely.
In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky as the first visitor. This belief was shaped by older customs and historical associations, but it is not a requirement in contemporary celebrations.
First-footing is distinct from simply counting down to midnight. It concerns the household's first guest of the new year and the objects or good wishes that person brings. The custom also appears in parts of northern England, where related traditions are practiced.