Edinburgh is the main setting for the world-famous Hogmanay street celebration.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve, and Edinburgh's modern festival developed into a large, organized public event featuring concerts, processions, and a midnight fireworks display. Its best-known gatherings take place around the city centre, including Princes Street and the surrounding streets.
The celebration draws on older Scottish customs, including first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight was traditionally thought to influence the household's luck. Gifts such as whisky, shortbread, coal, or salt were associated with the custom in different regions and periods.
Hogmanay is not the name of one particular performance or building. It refers broadly to the Scottish New Year celebration, while Edinburgh hosts the most internationally prominent festival version. Events and crowd arrangements can change from year to year.