In Scotland, we have lots of time-honoured traditions relating to Hogmanay, the term used for New Year's Eve.
As you bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one, why not give one of these traditions a whirl!
Attend a traditional Scottish ceilidh
Pronounced kay-lee, ceilidh is a Gaelic word meaning gathering or party and features traditional Scottish music and dancing. Hogmanay ceilidhs can start 3 to 4 hours before the bells at midnight, with the dancing continuing through to the morning.
Popular dances include The Gay Gordons, The Dashing White Sergeant and Strip the Willow.
Did you know – on 30 December 2000, 1,914 people participated in the World Record for the largest Strip The Willow as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations!
Ceilidhs are also a great workout – an hour of energetic dancing can use up nearly 400 calories (the equivalent of 20 minutes of vigorous swimming)! If you want to master the steps before your next ceilidh have a look at this interactive guide.
Edinburgh’s world-class celebrations
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a bumper-packed four-day festival featuring everything from toe-tapping ceilidhs and after-dark discos for all the family, to live music in some of the city’s most spectacular venues. Keep up to date with this year’s festivities in our guide to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
If you don’t have tickets to this year’s celebrations, don’t worry, there are several public parks in the city where you can still get a stunning view of the New Year fireworks, set off from Edinburgh Castle on the stroke of midnight. We suggest getting there early and watching the spectacle from Calton Hill, Holyrood Park or Inverleith Park. Sturdy footwear and warm, waterproof clothing is recommended.
The Loony Dook
This is one for the hardiest of folk! Taking place on New Year’s Day, up to a thousand people in fancy dress throw themselves into the freezing water of the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, a few miles outside Edinburgh.
A tradition dating to 1987 as a somewhat extreme attempt by a group of locals to find a hangover cure, The Loony Dook has now grown in popularity and today attracts participants from all over the world.
First Footing
First footing (or the “first foot” in the house after midnight) is still practised widely across Scotland.
To ensure good luck for the house for the year ahead, the first foot should be a dark-haired male, and he should bring with him a traditional gift such as a lump of coal (a symbolic gift to ensure the house remains warm in the coming months), along with shortbread, black bun (fruitcake wrapped in pastry) and whisky to toast the New Year.
Note: to turn up empty-handed is considered not only rude, but also bad luck!
Redding the house
Don those rubber gloves! Rather than a spring clean, a New Year clean (or “redding the house”) is a common way to welcome the New Year.
When open fires were common, people would clear the ashes and lay a new fire for the New Year. Cleaning the house also extends to clearing debts – the underlying message being to clear out the remains of the old year and welcome in the New Year on a happy note.
Sing Auld Lang Syne
As the clock strikes midnight, it is traditional to sing Auld Lang Syne.
Sung in a circle of linked arms that are crossed over on the final verse, it was written by the Scottish bard, Robert Burns, although he did not write the melody. This popular tradition of bidding farewell to the old year is now seen all over the world.
An extra day’s holiday
For visitors to Edinburgh it is also worth remembering that 02 January is a national holiday in Scotland – an extra day to recover from the country’s renowned annual celebrations!
Be the first to hear about Edinburgh’s festivities
Don’t miss details of this year’s Edinburgh festivities
