Edinburgh gives its New Year's Eve festival the name Hogmanay.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay is a multi-day celebration featuring concerts, street events, torchlight processions, and fireworks. The modern festival became internationally prominent in the late twentieth century, although Scotland has long maintained distinctive New Year's customs.
The word “Hogmanay” refers to the Scottish New Year's celebration rather than to one particular performance. Customs connected with it include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring symbolic gifts such as coal, bread, salt, or whisky.
Hogmanay is not simply another name for Christmas. In Scotland, New Year has historically held special social importance, and celebrations can continue through January 1 and January 2, which are public holidays in Scotland. Edinburgh's event is one of the world's most widely recognized New Year's festivals.