Let’s Get this Party Started in True Style!

Hogmanay is known around the world as a tradition best celebrated in Scotland, where the evening is filled with revelling that can last into the wee small hours of New Year’s Day

Edith Bowman knows all about putting in a shift at Hogmanay. As the child of hoteliers – her family ran the Craws Nest in Anstruther – she has done one or two herself over the years. When friends were out partying at the Bells, the celebration at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, she was often on the other side of the bar, helping out on what was the family’s busiest night of the year.

The broadcaster has presented BBC Scotland’s flagship Hogmanay programme, an hour-long live show from Glasgow’s Pacific Quay, featuring music performances, before handing over to the lone piper on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.

“The whole idea of Hogmanay is part of your life growing up in Scotland,” she says, “It’s a big deal. It’s one of the biggest celebrations ever. It was always about ‘Where are you going? What are you doing?’. So for me, personally, hosting this show and being a part of the team is a massive deal, a childhood dream come true to be honest.

When I ask about her outstanding Hogmanay memories, she mentions two. The first came on tour with rock band Editors when, during a Hogmanay gig in Tasmania, an electrical storm blew up and Edith saw in New Year watching indie rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs fronted by flamboyant singer Karen O.

The second was very different: a family trip to her cousin in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range with her parents and in-laws. They met the Bells outdoors in snowsuits, sipping mulled wine and hot chocolate. Hogmanay really is something Scots can take with them, no matter where they are in the world. So when the clock finally strikes midnight, be sure to gather your friends and family to raise a toast to a brighter year!

What is Hogmanay?

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and marks the celebration of the New Year in Scotland. It is normally followed by further celebrations on the morning of New Year’s Day.

The origins of Hogmanay are unclear but may be derived from Norse and Gaelic observances of the winter solstice. Customs vary throughout Scotland but usually include gift-giving and visiting the homes of friends and neighbours.

What is First Foot?

First Foot is observed on New Year’s Day and involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend of neighbour. Often it involves the giving of symbolic gifts, such as coal, shortbread, whisky and black bun – intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder.

Above all, the First Foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.

What happens in Edinburgh?

When it comes to Hogmanay, the capital city certainly knows how to put on a show, whether it’s the enchanting torchlight procession, the famous street party and spectacular fireworks display or a toe-tapping ceilidh and concert in Princes Street Gardens.