Did you know? Edinburgh’s Hogmanay
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2024-25 is Scotland’s premier Winter Festival, presenting spectacular events which have positioned Edinburgh as one of the world’s greatest New Year celebrations and rightful place as the ‘Home of Hogmanay’.
- Since the inaugural event in 1993, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay quickly grew into one of the world’s leading New Year celebrations, and over three decades has welcomed millions of visitors and locals to party in Scotland’s capital.
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2024/25 is a key part of Scotland’s winter tourism calendar, generating over £48 million in economic benefit, with over 100,000 people anticipated to attend events in the city for the four-day celebrations
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of Edinburgh’s eleven major festivals, created in 1993, the festival quickly grew into a globally recognised event, attracting visitors from around the world to celebrate New Year in Edinburgh, the ‘Home of Hogmanay’.
- Over 3.35 million revellers have experienced the world-famous Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party over the last 30 years.
- Edinburgh’s Hogmanay continues to be a bucket list experience for people around the world looking to celebrate New Year in Scotland.
- The word Hogmanay came from various possible language origins such as Gaelic, Dutch and Flemish.
Hogmanay traditions
- First footing – The ‘first foot’ in the house after midnight is still very common in Scotland. To ensure
good luck, a first footer should be a dark-haired man. Fair-haired first footers were not particularly welcome after the Viking invasions of ancient times. Traditional gifts include a lump of coal to lovingly place on the host’s fire, along with shortbread,
a black bun and whisky to toast
to a Happy New Year. These days shortbread and whisky will suffice. Showing up empty handed is not only very rude but also bad luck! - Redding the house – Rather than a Spring clean, the Scots have a New Year’s clean to welcome in the New Year. Starting the New Year with a dirty house is bad luck. When open fires were common, people would clear the ashes and lay a new fire for the New Year. Cleaning one’s house also extends to clearing one’s debts. An old Scottish superstition states that you should try to clear all your debts before the stroke of midnight.
- Bonfires and Fire Festivals- Scotland’s fire festivals at Hogmanay and
later in January may have pagan
or Viking origins. The use of fire to purify and drive away evil spirits
is an ancient idea. Fire is at the centre of Hogmanay celebrations in Stonehaven, Comrie and Biggar and has recently become an element in Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebration. - The singing of Auld Lang Syne all over the world- People sing Robert Burns’ version of this traditional Scottish air. How it became the New Year’s song is something of a mystery. At Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, people join hands
for what is reputed to be the world’s biggest Auld Lang Syne. - The Saining of the House- This is a very old rural tradition that involved blessing the house and livestock with holy water from a local stream. Although it had nearly died out,
in recent years it has experienced
a revival. After the blessing with
water, the woman of the house was supposed to go from room to room with a smouldering juniper branch, filling the house with purifying smoke.
Copied with permission from The Scottish Banner, December 2024 issue.