Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish name for December 31 New Year's Eve celebrations.
The word refers both to New Year's Eve and to the associated celebrations, which can continue into New Year's Day. Hogmanay customs vary across Scotland and may include singing, gatherings, torchlight events, fireworks, and first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally considered significant.
The exact origin of the word “Hogmanay” is uncertain. Proposed explanations have connected it with Scots, French, Norse, and other linguistic influences, but no single etymology is universally accepted. This uncertainty is a reason to distinguish the well-established celebration from claims about one definitive word origin.
Hogmanay is not simply another name for Burns Night, which commemorates poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it identical to one particular Edinburgh event; it describes Scotland's broader New Year's Eve tradition.