Hogmanay is the Scottish holiday name for New Year's Eve celebrations.
Hogmanay includes the final day of the year and the associated Scottish festivities that continue into New Year's Day. Celebrations can involve street parties, torchlight processions, singing, fireworks, visits, and shared food. Edinburgh is internationally known for its large Hogmanay program.
The word's origin is uncertain. Proposed explanations connect it with Scots, French, Norse, and Gaelic sources, but no single etymology is universally accepted. Scotland's historical calendar customs were also shaped by the Reformation and by restrictions on Christmas observance, which helped make New Year a particularly prominent winter celebration.
First-footing is one Hogmanay custom, but it is a separate tradition rather than another name for the holiday. It refers to the first person entering a home after midnight and is associated with bringing luck. Thus Hogmanay is the broad celebration, while first-footing is one practice within it.