Hogmanay is Edinburgh's famous New Year's Eve festival.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for New Year's Eve and also refers to Scotland's wider New Year customs. Edinburgh's modern celebration developed into a large public festival featuring concerts, street events, processions, and midnight fireworks, although individual programming can change from year to year.
A central Scottish custom is first-footing: the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune. Gifts such as whisky, shortbread, or coal have been associated with the custom, reflecting wishes for warmth, food, and prosperity.
Hogmanay is not the same event as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25. Nor is it identical to Scotland's many other winter festivals. Edinburgh's Hogmanay is specifically the city's major New Year celebration.