Happy Hogmanay 2025 - 2026!

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's celebration that takes place over the course of several days. While the festival and its customs date back to pagan celebrations of winter solstice, the word Hogmanay itself is harder to trace. Scholars have guessed that the word possibly comes from the French, Norse, or Goidelic languages.

The largest Hogmanay event, held in Edinburgh, kicks off with a torchlight procession tonight, December 29th, 2024. An enormous crowd of celebrants can enjoy a carnival atmosphere overflowing with Street Theatre, Fire Performers and Drummers, before the Massed Pipes & Drums and Vikings from Shetland’s South Mainland Up Helly Aa’ Jarl Squad (SMUHA) lead the procession in a river of light through the capital’s historic Old Town.

Events continue through the 30th. This year, the Night Afore Concert at Ross Band Stand, Princes Street Gardens features Stornoway's folk-rock stars Peat & Diesel. And on the 31st, you can attend the Silent Adventures Mega Silent Disco, or enjoy Edinburgh's Street Party featuring live music, DJ’s, giant screens, International Street Theatre, Pipers, drummers, funfair attractions, and delicious street food & drink. Then Wet Leg are set to headline Concert in the Gardens this Hogmanay, ringing in the New Year beneath the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Joining them are Scottish favourites Hamish Hawk and Lucia & The Best Boys for a night of anthems, energy and of course an overwhelming firework display at the stroke of midnight created by pyrotechnic wizards Titanium

Photo: Keith Valentine

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, and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie. And for a real pick-me-up hangover cure, you can try the annual Loony Dook costumed cold plunge which takes place in the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry. Show up in costume--over your wet suit of course, it's freezing! 

Haud Hogmanay, everyone!

https://edwinterfest.com/hogmanay

A New Tartan Memorializes Those Executed Under Scotland’s Witchcraft Act

A new Scottish tartan has been crafted to honor the thousands of individuals—predominantly women—who were executed for witchcraft in Scotland between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Witches of Scotland, a movement advocating for "Justice for people accused and convicted under the Witchcraft Act 1563-1736," spearheaded this effort.

The initiative was driven by Witches of Scotland founders Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi, with the artistic vision brought to life by Clare Campbell, the creative mind behind the Prickly Thistle tartan mill. This meaningful design was formally registered on February 11, 2025, in the Scottish Register of Tartans.

The tartan's color palette is deeply symbolic: black and grey evoke the somberness of the period and the ashes of those who perished, while red stands for the bloodshed, and pink highlights the legal ties that bound the trial documents both then and now. Intricately woven into the fabric, the thread count subtly encodes the years 1563 and 1736 (1+5+6+3 = 15 and 1+7+3+6 = 17), these numbers are carefully included within the black and grey bands, encircling a white check pattern of three threads that symbolize the campaign’s three key goals: achieving a pardon, an apology, and establishing memorials. Additionally, the 173 black threads intricately stitched into the tartan’s squares commemorate the 173 years during which the Witchcraft Act was enforced.

https://www.witchesofscotland.com/
https://www.pricklythistlescotland.com/

Happy Hogmanay 2024 - 2025!

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's celebration that takes place over the course of several days. While the festival and its customs date back to pagan celebrations of winter solstice, the word Hogmanay itself is harder to trace. Scholars have guessed that the word possibly comes from the French, Norse, or Goidelic languages.

The largest Hogmanay event, held in Edinburgh, kicks off with a torchlight procession tonight, December 29th, 2024. An enormous crowd of celebrants accompanied by pipers and drummers, fire, and fanfare in a river of light wind through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town.

Events continue through the 30th. This year, the Night Afore Disco Party at West Princes Street Gardens and set against the backdrop of the iconic Edinburgh Castle features Hot Dub Time Machine with The Cuban Brothers and High Fade. Then December 31st is Auld Year's Eve. The Concert In The Gardens will be headlined by Scottish band Texas and guest Callum Beattie. And of course the world-famous "Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party" will culminate, as usual, 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, and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie. However, the annual Loony Dook which takes place in the Firth of Forth (a wacky costumed cold plunge for charity), is not part of the official 2024-2025 Edinburgh Hogmanay events and after being cancelled  in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, it is unclear if it is going to happen on January 1, 2025.

Haud Hogmanay, everyone!

https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/
http://www.visitscotland.com/

BEAUTY: Watercolor Illustration--Joanna Blémont

Artist Joanna Blémont is an illustrator in Edinburgh who creates extraordinary watercolors of haunting narratives...vast empty places, the passage of time, and lone figures. Their simplicity is arresting.

Prints of her work are available at her shop through her website!
https://joannablemont.com/

The Grace of the Sun

Grace of the Sun was a lighted installation by artist Robert Montgomery (previously here) shown at COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, 2021.

https://www.robertmontgomery.org/

Happy Hogmanay 2023 - 2024!

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's celebration that takes place over the course of several days. While the festival and its customs date back to pagan celebrations of winter solstice, the word Hogmanay itself is harder to trace. Scholars have guessed that the word possibly comes from the French, Norse, or Goidelic languages.

The largest event held in Edinburgh kicks off with a torchlight procession tonight, December 29th, 2023. An enormous crowd of celebrants accompanied by pipers and drummers, fire, and fanfare in a river of light wind through the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town.

Events continue through the 30th. Then December 31st is Auld Year's Eve. Street parties, outdoor concerts, and indoor concerts (there is a traditional candlelit concert at St. Giles' Cathedral, and this year rock group Pulp headlines the Concert In The Gardens in the West Princes Street Gardens) 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, and many Scots still observe the day with a special dinner of steak pie. However, the annual Loony Dook which takes place in the Firth of Forth (a wacky costumed cold plunge for charity), is not part of the official 2024 Edinburgh Hogmanay events and it is unclear if it is going to happen, albeit unsanctioned.

Haud Hogmanay, everyone!

https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/
http://www.visitscotland.com/