Hogmanay is the Scottish name for the New Year celebration traditionally observed in Scotland. The word refers broadly to the festivities surrounding the final day of the old year and the beginning of the new one.
Modern Hogmanay celebrations combine public gatherings, music, fireworks, torchlight processions, and visiting friends and relatives. Edinburgh’s large street celebration has become one of the world’s best-known New Year events, although local customs vary across Scotland.
A central tradition is first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight is expected to bring good fortune. Historically, the visitor might carry symbolic gifts such as food, drink, or coal.
Hogmanay is sometimes mistaken for a single festival with one fixed ritual. In practice, it is a collection of regional customs, with songs, foods, and forms of procession differing from place to place.