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Event Information:
Hogmanay in Edinburgh for New Years
Eve into New Year features
the usual high octane street party.
A new addition this year is the
chance to see in in style at
the The Keilidh, the outdoor ceilidh
experience set within an exclusive
area of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay
Street Party. There is also the
famous Concert in the Gardens, a
music event set beneath the stunning
backdrop of Edinburgh Castle,
welcoming the New Year with a
headline music artist, (to be
announced) very special guests and
the famous Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Midnight Fireworks.
For the latest New Year's Eve events
and parties in Edinburgh see New
Year's Eve Live
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the
last day of the year and is
synonymous with the celebration of
the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in
the Scottish manner. It is, however,
normally only the start of a
celebration which lasts through the
night until the morning of New
Year's Day (1 January) or, in some
cases, 2 January which is a Scottish
Bank Holiday.
There
are many customs, both national and
local, associated with Hogmanay. The
most widespread national custom is
the practice of 'first-footing'
which starts immediately after
midnight. This involves being the
first person to cross the threshold
of a friend or neighbour and often
involves the giving of symbolic
gifts such as salt (less common
today), coal, shortbread, whisky,
and black bun (a rich fruit cake)
intended to bring different kinds of
luck to the householder. Food and
drink (as the gifts) are then given
to the guests. This may go on
throughout the early hours of the
morning and well into the next day
(although modern days see people
visiting houses well into January).
The first-foot is supposed to set
the luck for the rest of the year.
Traditionally, tall dark men are
preferred as the first-foot.
The
Hogmanay custom of singing "Auld
Lang Syne" has become common in many
countries. "Auld Lang Syne" is a
traditional poem reinterpreted by
Robert Burns, which was later set to
music. It is now common for this to
be sung in a circle of linked arms
that are crossed over one another as
the clock strikes midnight for New
Year's Day, although it is only
intended that participants link arms
at the beginning of the final verse,
coordinating with the lines of the
song which contain the lyrics to do
so. Typically it is only in Scotland
this practice is carried out
correctly.
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