Discover the traditions of Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year

In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is more than just a party. It’s an iconic celebration known as Hogmanay. Celebrated on December 31, Hogmanay comes with ancient traditions and pagan rituals that have been passed down for centuries. From first-footing and fire rituals to saining and singing Auld Lang Syne, we look at the traditions of Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year.

While Hogmanay is a New Year’s celebration, the traditions start well before December 31. As part of the preparations for the new year, there are several rituals to carry out, such as cleaning the house and sweeping out of the fireplace. You should also try to clear all your debts before midnight on December 31, to symbolise a clean start in the new year.

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Saining (blessing) the house and livestock is an old Highland custom that some people still practice today. This tradition involves drinking blessed water from a river ford that’s crossed by both the living and the dead. You also need to burn juniper branches to fill the house with smoke, which cleanses the house and drives away evil spirits. Next, you open all the windows and doors to let in the air and start a fresh new year. It’s also custom to have a wee dram of whisky before enjoying a hearty breakfast.

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First footing is one of the most common Hogmanay traditions. When the clock strikes midnight on December 31, people across Scotland start heading to the homes of their loved ones to be the first footer – the first person to enter the home in the new year. It’s said the first-footer sets the tone for the new year, so they’re always warmly welcomed with a dram of whisky.

It’s said that if a dark-haired man is the first-footer, you’ll have the best luck in the new year. This is because these men traditionally bore gifts of whisky, shortbread, coal and salt, which all symbolise prosperity. This stems from a time when Scotland was invaded by Vikings – so a light-haired man at your door meant trouble! The opposite – a dark-haired man – became a symbol of luck and success.

Today, you don’t have to be a dark-haired man to be a first-footer. As long as you bring a gift, everyone is welcome. Gifts are also symbolic and can bring good luck. Coal represents warmth, while salt represents health. Food is a common gift, like whisky, shortbread and black bun, a type of fruit cake. In Dundee, some people might bring a preserved herring, dressed in a crepe-paper skirt and bonnet.

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When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, everyone stops to sing Auld Lang Syne, the beloved song of Scottish bard Robert Burns. You might see revellers join hands in a circle while singing the famous lyrics. You cross your arms over your chest at the last verse, without breaking hands with your neighbour. As the song ends, everyone rushes to the middle of the circle with hands still joined, ringing in the New Year.

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Fire is a very important part of Hogmanay. Originating from Celtic pagan customs, the traditional Hogmanay ceremony involved people dressing in cow hides and running around villages while being hit with sticks. People would light bonfires and throw torches. They would also create smoking sticks, known as a Hogmanay, by wrapping sticks in animal hide and igniting them to create a smoke to ward off evil spirits.

Today, there are many torchlight processions and firework displays paying homage to these fiery traditions.

In Edinburgh, the annual Torchlight Procession pays tribute to Celtic history. Thousands of people march through the city carrying flaming torches.

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On the Isle of Lewes in the Highlands, boys and young men separate into groups and the leader of each wears a sheep skin while others carry a sack. The groups move to each house in the village, chanting a Gaelic rhyme. Each house gives the boys bannocks (fruit buns) for their sacks.

In Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, men swing giant fireballs on long metal poles in a midnight procession up and down the High Street. After the parade, they set off fireballs into the harbour. This tradition is thought to originate from the Winter Solstice, when winging fireballs symbolised the power of the sun and ridding the world of evil spirits.

The traditions of Hogmanay may have ancient origins, but the Scottish have created a cultural legacy that proudly lives on.