Hogmanay

Origins and etymology

Scholars debate the origin of the word Hogmanay. Some link it to French phrases for New Year gifts, while others suggest Norse or Gaelic roots. The term appears in records from 1443. Historically, it replaced Christmas as the main winter festival in Scotland following the Protestant Reformation. The celebration absorbed older Norse and Gaelic winter rituals.

First-footing and gifts

The most widespread custom is first-footing. After midnight, the first person to enter a home determines the luck for the coming year. Tall, dark-haired men are traditionally preferred. Visitors bring symbolic items such as shortbread, whisky, coal, or salt to bring prosperity to the household. Food and drink are then shared with the guests.

Fire festivals and local rites

Towns across Scotland hold unique events. In Stonehaven, locals swing large balls of burning material into the harbour. In Burghead, a wooden club is burned. In the Highlands, households perform saining, a ritual involving sprinkling water and fumigating rooms with juniper smoke to protect the home and livestock. These rites aim to cleanse the space for the new year.

Songs and media

Singing Auld Lang Syne is common at midnight. This poem by Robert Burns is sung with linked arms. Television broadcasts like The White Heather Club helped popularize the celebration. Modern events in Edinburgh attract large crowds with fireworks and street performances. The festivities often extend into the middle of January in some communities.

How Hogmanay is kept

People visit friends and neighbours after midnight. The first person to enter a home determines the luck for the coming year. Tall, dark-haired men are traditionally preferred. Visitors bring symbolic items such as shortbread, whisky, coal, or salt to bring prosperity to the household. In some towns, residents swing burning fireballs into harbours or burn juniper to bless their homes. Families gather to eat and sing songs together.

When and where

It falls on 31 December and continues into 1 and 2 January. The date is fixed by the Gregorian calendar.

It is strongest in Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh, Stonehaven, and Burghead. It was also celebrated in northern England.

What Hogmanay means

The first-foot is believed to set the fortune for the entire year ahead. Traditional beliefs hold that tall, dark-haired men bring the best luck. The saining ritual uses juniper smoke and magic water to cleanse the home and protect livestock from harm. Gifts like coal and shortbread symbolize warmth and sustenance for the months to come.

On the table

• shortbread
• whisky
• black bun
• herring
• cakes

Days Hogmanay is marked

Hogmanay dates: 2025, 2026, 2027

Questions people ask about Hogmanay

See also

Christmas marketA seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.ImbolcA Gaelic festival heralding spring and honoring Saint Brigid with woven rush crossesChristmasA festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsHalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritage

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Hogmanay events cancelled as Covid rules tightenedBBC, Article
• What is Hogmanay?BBC, Article
• Hogmanay events cancelled as Covid rules tightenedBBC, Article
• What is Hogmanay?BBC, Article

• Hogmanay on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.