The Scottish New Year’s Eve custom of being the first visitor to enter a home is called first-footing.
The first-foot is the first person to cross a household’s threshold after midnight. Scottish tradition holds that this visitor can affect the family’s luck for the coming year. The guest commonly brings symbolic gifts such as coal for warmth, bread for food, salt, whisky, or shortbread.
Historical versions of the custom often preferred a tall, dark-haired male visitor, partly because of older folk beliefs about luck and historical associations with Viking raiders. Contemporary practice is more varied and is usually treated as a friendly social ritual rather than a strict rule.
First-footing is one part of Hogmanay, Scotland’s broader New Year celebration. It is not simply the same as an ordinary New Year’s visit: the crucial detail is being the first person to enter after midnight.