Scotland’s traditional New Year’s Eve celebration is called Hogmanay.
The word refers broadly to Scottish New Year customs and festivities, especially the night of 31 December and the days surrounding it. Major celebrations have taken place in Edinburgh, where public concerts, torchlight events, and street gatherings became internationally known.
Hogmanay includes several customs associated with welcoming the new year. “First-footing” involves the first person to enter a household after midnight, traditionally bringing symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky. Singing “Auld Lang Syne” is also strongly associated with Scottish New Year celebrations.
Hogmanay is not the same holiday as Burns Night, which commemorates poet Robert Burns on 25 January, or St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day on 30 November. The exact origin of the word “Hogmanay” remains uncertain, with several linguistic theories proposed.