When I first moved to Scotland in 1989 I was greeted with ‚ many new Scottish traditions, Hogmanay being one! ‚ My family had never really celebrated the New Year, so on our move northwards we had our first experience of how the Scots celebrate.
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year. ‚ The most common custom is “first footing”, whereby immediately after midnight a good friend will cross the threshold of your home and bring you a gift, such as:
- Salt
- Coal
- Whisky
- Shortbread
The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the ‚ rest of the ‚ year.
Enjoy your Hogmanay celebrations!