The Scottish name given to New Year celebrations, including Edinburgh’s major festivities, is Hogmanay.
Hogmanay refers to New Year’s Eve and the associated Scottish customs, though its exact word origin remains debated. Edinburgh’s modern celebration is known for concerts, torchlight events, a street party, and fireworks, making it one of the world’s most prominent New Year festivals.
A traditional custom is first-footing: the first person to enter a home after midnight is expected to bring good fortune. Gifts such as whisky, shortbread, coal, or salt have been associated with the visitor. Hogmanay is not the same as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25, or St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day.