Which Scottish New Year celebration is known as Hogmanay?

Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of New Year’s Eve.

The word describes Scotland’s New Year festivities, which can extend from 31 December into the first days of January. Customs include singing “Auld Lang Syne,” visiting friends and relatives, exchanging good wishes, and first-footing. In first-footing, the first person to enter a home after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good luck, sometimes carrying symbolic gifts such as coal, bread, salt, or whisky.

Edinburgh is internationally known for its large Hogmanay program, with concerts, processions, and public celebrations. Events and formats have changed over time, and their exact schedules depend on organizers and local conditions.

Hogmanay is not the name of a single song, city, or fireworks display. It refers to the broader Scottish New Year festival. Its traditions developed through a mixture of older winter customs, Christian calendar practices, and later civic celebrations, making it one of Scotland’s most distinctive annual observances.