Hogmanay is Edinburgh's famous New Year's Eve celebration, known for a torchlight procession and singing “Auld Lang Syne.”
The festival takes place around the turn of the year and includes public concerts, street celebrations, fireworks, and traditional customs. Edinburgh's torchlight procession typically winds through the city before the main celebrations, creating a river of fire carried by thousands of participants.
Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year's Eve or its celebration. Its customs have been shaped by Scotland's history, including older midwinter practices and later influences from Norse and Christian traditions. One well-known custom is first-footing: the first person to enter a home after midnight may bring symbolic gifts such as shortbread, coal, or whisky.
Hogmanay is sometimes treated as a synonym for the whole Scottish season, but it specifically centers on New Year celebrations. Scotland's other major cultural festivals, including Burns Night and St Andrew's Day, are separate occasions.