The first day of Hogmanay or "Auld Year’s Night" in Scotland
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year 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.
Traditions
The roots of Hogmanay perhaps reach back to the celebration of the winter solstice among the Norse, as well as incorporating customs from the Gaelic celebration of Samhain. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which later contributed to the Twelve Days of Christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they were sometimes called in Scotland. The winter festival went underground with the Protestant Reformation and ensuing years (see Christmas in Scotland), but re-emerged near the end of the 17th century.
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 the middle of 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.
Each area of Scotland often developed its own particular Hogmanay ritual. An example of a local Hogmanay custom is the fireball swinging that takes place in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland. This involves local people making up 'balls' of chicken wire filled with old newspaper, sticks, rags, and other dry flammable material up to a diameter of 2 feet, each attached to about 3 feet of wire, chain or nonflammable rope. As the Old Town House bell sounds to mark the new year, the balls are set alight and the swingers set off up the High Street from the Mercat Cross to the Cannon and back, swinging the burning balls around their heads as they go. At the end of the ceremony, any fireballs that are still burning are cast into the harbour. Many people enjoy this display, and large crowds flock to see it, with 12,000 attending the 2007/2008 event. In recent years, additional attractions have been added to entertain the crowds as they wait for midnight, such as fire poi, a pipe band, street drumming and a firework display after the last fireball is cast into the sea. The festivities are now streamed live over the Internet.
Christmas is traditionally the most important holiday of the year, but in Scotland Hogmanay takes precedence. It is celebrated on December 31st, also known in Scotland as Auld Year’s Night. The origin of the word Hogmanay is unclear, but is most likely derived from old French.
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Over the centuries many customs have become associated with Hogmanay, many of which are still practiced. It is considered lucky to begin a new year with a clean house and any debts settled. The first person to cross the threshold of a house on January 1st is known as the first-footer, and should ideally be a tall, dark haired man.
The reason for this is that, many centuries ago, the Scots were invaded by Vikings, who tended to be short and fair haired. The first-footer traditionally brings with them a bottle of spirits for sharing, black bun (a Scottish fruit cake), a lump of coal and a piece of silver. If a house is visited by a first-footer bearing no gifts it is considered bad luck for the year ahead.
After the bells at midnight on December 31st the song “Auld Lang Syne”, adapted by the Scottish poet Robert Burns from an earlier work, is traditionally sung. It is also the time to make resolutions for the year ahead, a practice which originated in Scotland and has been copied all around the world.
Hogmanay, a Social Event in Scotland
Hogmanay is considered a time to be with family. Many Scottish families organise large parties for relatives and friends. In recent times television specials have become an important part of the build-up to the bells. Scotch and Wry, starring the late, great Scottish comedian Rikki Fulton, was for many years a mainstay of the BBC’s Hogmanay programming, attracting record viewing audiences.
For those wishing to celebrate outside several Scottish cities host Hogmanay street parties, the best known taking place in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh and Glasgow events attract around 100,000 revellers each.
Some Scottish communities have special celebrations, steeped in history. Peterhead, Burghead and Comrie all have fire festivals. Perhaps the most famous, Up Helly-aa, takes place in Shetland where locals build a full-size replica of a Viking longboat before setting it alight.
In the first days of the new year it is considered polite to wish others all the best for the year ahead. There are many Scottish greetings. One of the most popular is “Lang may yer lum reek”, which translates as "Long may your chimney smoke."
The significance of Hogmanay in Scotland is reflected by the amount of leave people are given. January 2nd is a bank holiday and many businesses also allow their employees to stay off work on January 3rd and 4th. Hogmanay looks set to remain the most important date on the Scottish calendar for many years to come.