Scottish Hogmanay Customs and Traditions
New Years Eve is a day that is widely celebrated around the world and as the new year dawns many people will party and celebrate its arrival. In Scotland the name for New Years Eve is Hogmanay and over the years many traditions and customs have built up around this. Some of these include the following.
Cleaning the House
No one in Scotland wants to see the New Year in with a dirty and untidy home, so Hogmanay was traditionally a day of cleaning. In the olden days cleaning the fireplace and removing the old ashes was of particular importance, although open fireplaces are obviously much less common these days. Nevertheless, most people will take the opportunity in the early part of Hogmanay to give their home a thorough cleaning to make sure it is looking its best to welcome in the New Year and also welcome any guests that may visit to say Happy New Year.
First Footing
This is probably the most common and most well known of the Hogmanay traditions in Scotland. After the bells have sounded for midnight and the New Year officially begins it was a tradition to go and visit the house of neighbors, family or friends and be the first foot across the threshold. This was said to bring good luck to a home, especially if the first foot was a tall, dark handsome man and so these were are a premium on Hogmanay as most people wanted the luck that they were supposed to bring with them when they entered a home.
When first footing, there were also a number of symbolic gifts that were meant to be lucky to carry and give to the home owner. Coal was one of these and this signified that a home would remain warm, comfortable and safe in the coming year. Shortbread or a fruit cake known as Black Bun was also a traditional gift and this signified that those in the home would not go hungry during the year. It also never harmed to carry a bottle of Scotch whisky if you were first footing as this is traditionally used to toast the New Year.
Singing Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne was a poem written by the famous Scots poet Robert Burns in the 1700’s. The phrase basically means old times or days gone by. It was set to the tune of a traditional Scots folk song and is now a famous song around the world. It is generally sung just after the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay to welcome in the New Year. Crowds will generally join hands to sing the song and while it is popular in Scotland it has also spread to many other countries around the world and has become a popular tradition in many places.
Making New Year Resolutions
The New Year typically means a new start and for this reason many people will come up with New Years resolutions on Hogmanay, which are intended to make their life better. Common resolutions that are used each year include giving up smoking, drinking less alcohol, doing more exercise and losing weight. Most people make these with great intentions, although making them on Hogmanay and keeping them as the year progresses are two different things altogether. Nevertheless, most people will make a resolution or two to see in the New Year and it is a common tradition.
Clear Debts
Another common tradition in Scotland was to try and clear money debts before the clock struck midnight on Hogmanay. This meant you could enter the New Year with a clean slate and it was considered a lucky thing to do.
Hogmanay is one of the most popular celebrations in Scotland during the year and most people will stay up to see in the New Year and celebrate. Some of the traditions and customs that have been practiced over the years are shown above and if you are in Scotland on the 31st December these are the things to do to celebrate Hogmanay and bring in the New Year.
