The annual New Year's Eve event in Scotland is called Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for New Year's Eve and for the celebrations surrounding the change of year. It is not the name of one single city event: communities across Scotland observe it through gatherings, music, dancing, fireworks, and visits between households. Edinburgh hosts the most internationally famous organized celebration.
Scottish New Year customs include first-footing, in which the first visitor to enter a home after midnight is thought to bring luck. Traditional first-foot gifts could include coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky, representing warmth, food, flavor, or hospitality.
The origins of the word Hogmanay remain disputed. Suggested connections include Scots vocabulary and older northern European or French expressions, but historical evidence does not establish one certain explanation. The festival's modern form also reflects the fact that Christmas celebrations were historically restrained in Scotland after the Reformation, making New Year especially prominent in Scottish seasonal culture.