The Scottish New Year’s celebration in Edinburgh that features a torchlight procession is Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve and the surrounding New Year festivities. Edinburgh’s celebrations have included a major torchlight procession, street parties, concerts, and fireworks, making the city one of the world’s best-known destinations for welcoming the new year.
Scottish Hogmanay traditions also include first-footing, in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is believed to influence the household’s luck. Traditional gifts may include shortbread, whisky, or coal, symbolizing warmth, prosperity, or hospitality. Customs vary between regions and families.
Hogmanay is not the same holiday as Burns Night, which honors poet Robert Burns on January 25, or St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day on November 30. The word’s ultimate origin is uncertain, with several historical and linguistic explanations proposed.