First-footing is the traditional Scottish custom in which the first visitor enters a home after midnight on New Year's Eve.
The first person to cross the threshold in the new year is called the first-foot. Tradition holds that this visitor can influence the household's luck for the coming year. Common symbolic gifts include whisky, shortbread, coal, salt, and black bun, a dense Scottish fruit cake.
In some versions of the custom, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky as the first-foot, while local beliefs differed. The visitor was expected to arrive with gifts rather than empty-handed, and the household welcomed them with food and drink.
First-footing is closely associated with Hogmanay, Scotland's New Year celebration, but customs are not identical in every community. It is also distinct from simply being the first person awake or the first person to telephone; the traditional act involves crossing the household threshold after midnight.