Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the traditional New Year's celebration that includes customs such as first-footing.
The term refers to Scottish New Year's Eve and the festivities extending into New Year's Day. Hogmanay customs vary by region and family, but commonly include visiting friends and relatives after midnight, singing “Auld Lang Syne,” and welcoming the first person to enter a home in the new year.
Modern public Hogmanay events can include concerts, street parties, torchlight processions, and fireworks. Edinburgh's celebrations are internationally prominent, but Hogmanay is a national Scottish tradition rather than the name of one specific city event.
Its exact etymology remains disputed. Proposed influences include Scots, Gaelic, French, and Norse-related explanations, and no single origin is universally accepted. Hogmanay is also distinct from Burns Night, the January 25 celebration of Robert Burns's birthday, and from Beltane, a seasonal festival associated with May.