Edinburgh hosts Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, one of the world’s largest and best-known New Year’s Eve festivals.
“Hogmanay” is the Scottish term for New Year’s Eve and, by extension, the surrounding celebrations. Edinburgh’s modern festival developed into a major organized event featuring concerts, street gatherings, torchlight processions, and a midnight fireworks display near Edinburgh Castle.
The celebration reflects several Scottish customs. First-footing, for example, involves the first person to enter a home after midnight bringing symbolic gifts such as food or drink. Older traditions also include fire festivals and public gatherings, although individual customs differ across Scotland.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay should not be confused with Scotland’s entire New Year holiday period, which can include January 1 and January 2 public holidays. Nor is the festival named after the castle itself. The city’s dramatic historic setting, especially the Old Town and Castle Rock, is a major part of its international identity.