This year, the world's largest Hogmanay festival in Edinburgh--Scotland's gorgeous capital city--starts on December 30th with a spectacular torchlight procession.
A group of 30 or 40 Up Helly Aa Vikings from the Shetland Islands carrying torches and weapons will lead over 35,000 celebrants accompanied by pipers and drummers, fire and fanfare in a river of light through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town culminating in the historic Holyrood Park. On reaching the Park, torchbearers will form the distinctive outline of Scotland. 14 wicker sculptures, each representing a region of Scotland and created by young people as part of #ScotArt will be placed within the outline and set ablaze as Scotland's beating heart.
December 31st is Auld Year's Eve. Street parties, outdoor concerts (homeboys Franz Ferdinand headline the main stage festival this year), indoor concerts (a Baroque evening by candlelight in St. Giles' Cathedral), and The Ceilidh Under the Castle (a concert of traditional pipe and drum Scottish music held at the base of Edinburgh Castle) all culminate in an overwhelming firework display at the stroke of midnight.
There are many charming New Year's customs in Scotland. "First footing" is the idea that the first person to cross the threshold of your home is a harbinger of good luck. Starting immediately after midnight, people call on friends, going from house to house for much of the night and even into the morning and next day, with over half the population of Scotland observing the practice of "first-footing." It is good luck for the "first-footer" to be a tall, dark male. Traditionally, this male would bring gifts of a coin (symbolizing prosperity), bread/ black bun fruitcake (symbolizing food), salt (flavor), coal (warmth), or a drink (good cheer). These days, a "first-footer" usually just brings the whiskey!
January 1st is Ne'erday, a contraction of New Year's Day. The celebrating and "first-footing" continue, the annual Loony Dook takes place in the Firth of Forth (a wacky costumed cold plunge for charity), and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie.
Haud Hogmanay, everyone!
https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/
http://www.visitscotland.com/
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