Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year's Eve and the name of Scotland's major year-end celebration.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is known for large public gatherings, concerts, a torchlight procession, fireworks, and a traditional countdown. The festival's modern form developed into a major international event, although celebrations have older Scottish and northern European roots.
A key custom is first-footing. After midnight, the first person to enter a household is traditionally expected to bring good fortune; gifts such as whisky, shortbread, coal, or salt have been associated with the practice. Customs vary between regions and families.
Hogmanay is not the same as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Scotland's New Year's celebrations also include singing “Auld Lang Syne,” a song closely associated with Burns.