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Hogmanay is a Scottish New Year’s Eve celebration with origins in Gaelic, Roman, and Viking traditions. It includes fire rituals, first-footing, and the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”. The celebration has grown in recent decades with large events held in major cities. It was once celebrated more like Christmas, with parties and gift-giving. Children used to go door-to-door for treats, similar to Halloween. The celebration now includes singing, hugging, and kissing, and emphasizes large festival venues.
Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish name for the celebration that occurs on New Year’s Eve. Many American traditions derive from Hogmanay, which has been celebrated for centuries, and derives from Gaelic, Roman and perhaps Viking influence. The Scots, before the Roman Empire, had a winter festival that worshiped both fire and the sun. Roman influence brought Saturnalia, a boisterous winter festival, to Scotland. Finally, the Vikings contributed their beliefs to Yule, which later became associated with Christmas celebrations.
All of these sources and of course the Christian beliefs added to the mix result in the various celebrations and traditions that occur on Hogmanay. In recent decades, the celebration of the holiday has only gotten bigger and grander, with huge Hogmanay events held in some of Scotland’s major cities and many smaller ones in small towns. Americans derive the tradition of singing “Auld Lang Syne”, after the new year begins at the stroke of midnight, from the Scots.
At some points in history, Hogmanay has been celebrated more like Christmas, as parties with much drinking and revelry have been discouraged as being contrary to the religious qualities of Christmas. In many ways, those early Hogmanay celebrations were similar to Christmas as it is now celebrated, with neighbors visiting, presents delivered, especially to children, and lots of partying. In Scotland today, Christmas and New Year each have their own celebration.
One tradition that goes way back to Celtic or Gaelic traditions is the use of fire in Hogmanay celebrations. People may carry lighted torches and large bonfires are built. This ritual use of fire can be associated with the idea of death or the burning of the past and represents a kind of purification.
Another tradition just after midnight is the first step. Neighbors and friends go out to visit other neighbors and are the first “foot” to enter the house in the new year. It is considered important, though perhaps not as seriously in the past, that the person has dark hair, so that that person is not associated with the Vikings. The first footer is given to eat and drink: typically a black bun, a sticky raisin paste, and stronger tea or libations. As there are many light and dark haired people in Scotland, the first footer may have the opposite hair color of the residents of the house.
Sometimes you will hear Hogmanay called pie day. This references the practice of children going door to door during its celebration and receiving treats such as black buns for doing so. This is less frequent in the present time, but was a similar tradition to Halloween.
As with many Americanized New Year’s practices, the New Year begins not only with practices like stepping, but also with singing and lots of hugging and kissing. It’s a joyous celebration, with a growing emphasis on providing large festival venues where huge numbers of people can gather to say goodbye to the passing year and welcome in the new year.
