Hogmanay is Scotland's traditional New Year's Eve celebration, known for torchlight processions and fire celebrations.
The word refers to the Scottish observance of the final day of the old year and the festivities around it. Modern Hogmanay events can include concerts, street parties, fireworks, and torchlit marches. Fire traditions are especially prominent in places such as Stonehaven, where participants swing large fireballs, and Edinburgh, which has staged major torchlight events.
Scotland's New Year customs developed through a mixture of older winter practices, Christian calendar traditions, and local folklore. First-footing, in which the first visitor to enter a home after midnight brings symbolic gifts, remains associated with Hogmanay in many accounts. The visitor's identity and gifts vary by region and family.
Hogmanay is not simply another name for Edinburgh's festival. Edinburgh hosts a particularly famous multi-day celebration, but Hogmanay refers to the broader Scottish tradition. Its name and customs also vary across Scotland, so not every community marks the night with the same procession or ceremony.