First-footing is the Scottish New Year's Eve custom in which the first person to enter a home after midnight is expected to bring luck.
The first visitor, called the first-foot, traditionally arrives carrying symbolic gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky. These items represent warmth, food, flavor, and good cheer for the household in the coming year. In some traditions, a tall, dark-haired man was considered especially lucky, though modern practice is much less rigid.
First-footing is strongly associated with Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year celebration. Visitors may call on friends and relatives after midnight, and hosts often return the hospitality with food and drink. The custom is about the household's first arrival, not necessarily about the first person seen outside.
Regional and family versions differ, and the practice has changed over time. Some accounts connect its emphasis on a dark-haired male visitor with historical Viking-era prejudice against fair-haired raiders, but that explanation is debated. The enduring element is the lucky first arrival and its gifts.