The Scottish New Year's Eve custom involving the first person to enter a home is called first-footing.
The first foot is the first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight or after the new year begins. Tradition holds that the visitor's arrival can influence the household's luck for the coming year. Gifts such as shortbread, whisky, coal, salt, or black bun have historically been associated with the visit, representing food, warmth, prosperity, or hospitality.
In some versions of the custom, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky, although practices differ by region and period. The visitor may leave and re-enter after midnight rather than already being inside when the year changes. First-footing is a home-visiting tradition within the broader Scottish Hogmanay season, not the name of Edinburgh's public festival itself.