Edinburgh hosts the Hogmanay celebration called Edinburgh's Hogmanay. Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year's Eve and also refers to the customs and public celebrations surrounding the date.
Edinburgh's modern event is known for a torchlight procession, concerts, street festivities, and a midnight fireworks display near Edinburgh Castle. The exact program, routes, and capacity controls can change, but the celebration has become one of Scotland's most internationally recognized New Year's events.
Scottish Hogmanay customs include “first-footing,” in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to influence the household's luck. Traditional gifts may include shortbread, coal, salt, or whisky, although contemporary practice varies. Singing “Auld Lang Syne” is also strongly associated with the occasion.
Hogmanay is not a separate city name or a synonym for Christmas. Scotland historically placed particular emphasis on New Year celebrations, partly because Christmas observance was restricted in some periods after the Reformation. Edinburgh's festival is the large public expression of that heritage.