Edinburgh hosts the annual Hogmanay New Year's Eve celebration known for torchlight processions and street parties.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve and is strongly associated with Edinburgh, where the modern festival developed into a large, organized celebration. Its events commonly include a torchlight procession, concerts, a large street party, and fireworks near Edinburgh Castle.
The word Hogmanay has uncertain origins, with proposed links to French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots language traditions. Scottish New Year customs also include first-footing: the first person to enter a home after midnight traditionally brings symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky.
Edinburgh's event is sometimes confused with Hogmanay celebrations across Scotland, because Hogmanay is a national tradition rather than only a city festival. The capital's version is especially famous for its scale, public programming, and castle backdrop.