Edinburgh hosts the annual Hogmanay torchlight procession as part of its New Year's Eve festivities.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is one of Scotland's best-known New Year celebrations. Its program has included a torchlight procession through the city, large outdoor concerts, a street party, and fireworks near Edinburgh Castle. The exact route and schedule can change from year to year, but the event is associated specifically with Scotland's capital.
The word Hogmanay refers to the Scottish celebration of New Year's Eve and, by extension, the surrounding festivities. Scottish New Year customs also include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring symbolic gifts such as food or drink.
The torchlight event should not be confused with a separate city festival elsewhere in Scotland. Edinburgh's celebration developed into a major organized public event in the late twentieth century, combining older Scottish customs with concerts and large-scale crowd celebrations. It is distinct from the New Year's events held in Glasgow and other Scottish cities.