Edinburgh hosts Scotland's Hogmanay celebration, including its famous torchlight procession.
Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of New Year's Eve, and Edinburgh's events have become one of the world's best-known large-scale New Year festivals. The torchlight procession traditionally moves through the city toward an area near Edinburgh Castle, creating a river of light through the historic streets.
The wider celebration includes concerts, street parties, and a midnight fireworks display. Events and routes can change from year to year, and weather or safety conditions may lead to cancellations or alterations, but the city remains strongly identified with the festival.
The word Hogmanay is Scottish, although its exact origin is debated. Possible influences include Norse, French, and Gaelic traditions. Scottish New Year customs also include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is thought to affect the household's luck. Edinburgh's modern festival combines these traditions with major public events.