Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's Eve festival named by the Scots word for the celebration.
In modern usage, Hogmanay refers to Scotland's New Year festivities, especially the celebrations held on December 31 and into January 1. Edinburgh hosts one of the world's best-known versions, with concerts, torchlight events, street gatherings, and a midnight fireworks display, although customs vary across Scotland.
The word's exact origin is uncertain. Proposed explanations have connected it with French, Norse, Gaelic, and Scots terms, but no single etymology is universally accepted. That uncertainty concerns the word's history, not what Hogmanay means in contemporary Scottish culture.
A closely associated custom is first-footing: the first person to enter a household after midnight is traditionally expected to bring good fortune, sometimes represented by gifts such as shortbread, coal, or whisky. Hogmanay is not Scotland's Christmas name; it specifically concerns the New Year period.