Edinburgh is especially famous for its large annual Hogmanay New Year's Eve festival.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve and the surrounding celebrations. Edinburgh's modern festival developed into a major organized event featuring a torchlight procession, concerts, street celebrations, and fireworks, with the exact program changing over time. Princes Street and the area near Edinburgh Castle have been central locations for many editions.
Scottish New Year customs include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, or whisky. Singing “Auld Lang Syne” is also strongly associated with Scottish Hogmanay, although the song is now international.
Edinburgh's festival is distinct from Scotland's broader Hogmanay traditions. Other towns and cities hold their own events, and celebrations can include bonfires, ceilidh dancing, music, and local rituals. The name Hogmanay has an uncertain and debated linguistic history, with several proposed French, Norse, and Gaelic connections.