Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations.
The word refers both to the last day of the old year and to the associated Scottish customs and festivities. Modern Hogmanay events may include concerts, fireworks, street parties, torchlight processions, and singing “Auld Lang Syne.” Edinburgh hosts one of the best-known large-scale celebrations, but Hogmanay is observed throughout Scotland.
Important customs include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is expected to bring symbolic gifts such as shortbread, salt, coal, or whisky. Historically, the appearance and gifts of the first-foot could be associated with luck for the household.
Hogmanay is distinct from Burns Night, held on January 25 to honor poet Robert Burns, and from St Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day on November 30. The exact origin of the word Hogmanay is uncertain; proposed explanations draw on Scots, French, Norse, and Gaelic language history.