What is Hogmanay
New Year’s Eve is a day that is celebrated throughout the world and many people will party or at least stay up to hear the 12 o’clock chimes sounding so that they can toast the dawning of the New Year. In Scotland however it is a particularly popular holiday to the extent that it has been given its own unique name. The Scottish people call New Year’s Eve Hogmanay and many traditions have built up around it over the years.
Hogmanay is traditionally the first day when celebrating of the New Year starts in Scotland and the as the 1st and 2nd of January are typically Bank Holidays in the country the celebrations can go on for three days. Celebrating Hogmanay in Scotland is thought to date back hundreds of years, with a number of historians believing it was inherited from the Vikings who used to launch raiding parties on Britain in ancient times and may have passed on their traditions. The name Hogmanay itself could be derived from a number of languages, with theories showing Scandinavian, Flemish, Anglo-Saxon and French words from which it could have derived.
However, whatever the history of the holiday and its name, the Scottish people took it up with a passion and to this day it is still one of the most popular and celebrated holidays of the year in the country. The Scots themselves have built up a number of traditions around Hogmanay as the years have passed with some of these including the following.
Cleaning the Home
Traditionally the last day of the year was a time of thoroughly cleaning the home in Scotland. No one wants to welcome in the New Year in a dirty or untidy house and it was generally considered good luck to clean the house from top to bottom and start the New Year in a good fashion. Cleaning the house was also popular as many friends, family and neighbors could visit on New Years day and it was good to welcome them into a clean and tidy home. Being the first foot over the threshold of a home is considered lucky in Scotland and this takes us on to the next tradition.
First Footing
First footing is something that many Scots will do on the first day of the New Year. To be a first foot you generally have to wait until the chimes have sounded for 12.00 o’clock on Hogmanay so that the New Year has officially started. The idea is then to be the first foot into the home of friends or family. Tradition states that this is particularly lucky if the visitor is tall, dark and handsome and this may have its roots in the history of Hogmanay. Vikings tended to be tall and blonde and one of those turning up at your door in ancient times was not good news as it probably meant a Viking raiding party had arrived. Someone tall and dark therefore was a preferable option and this has become steeped in the lore of Hogmanay as tall and dark men are considered to bring good luck to a household if they are the first foot. A first foot also traditionally brought gifts for the householder. Some of these include coal, which signified the home would be warm in the coming year and a Scots fruitcake called Black Bun, which signified the residents of the home would not go hungry. Scots whisky is another first footing gift that many people carry as this can be used to toast the New Year.
Singing Auld Lang Syne
Robert Burns is one of the most famous Scots around the world and even though he lived and worked in the 1700’s, his poems are remembered to this day. Burn’s even has his own celebration in Scotland, which is generally held around the 25th of January. One of Burn’s most famous works was Auld Lang Syne, which generally translates to days gone by or long ago. The poem was set to the tune of a traditional Scots folk song and these days it is sung after midnight has sounded on Hogmanay to welcome in the New Year. At parties around Scotland guests will link hands and sing a rousing rendition of the song at Hogmanay parties. However it is not just parties in Scotland where it can be heard and over the years it has become a popular way of welcoming in the New Year in a number of countries.
Hogmanay is one of the most popular holidays in Scotland and is a great time of celebration in the country. Its history dates back many years and to this day it is a great time of partying in Scotland, with many people observing the traditions and welcoming in the New Year in true Scots style.
Sources – Rampant Scotland
