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The Traditional Hogmanay
14/11/2007
New Year's Eve is celebrated around the world, but the Scots have a long rich heritage associated with the occasion - and have their own name for it, Hogmanay.
There are traditions before midnight such as cleaning the house on 31st December. It’s also traditional to clear all debts before "the bells" at midnight. Immediately after midnight Robert Burns' For Auld Lang Syne is sung – a tradition the English have adopted as well. An integral part of the Hogmanay celebrations is to welcome friends and strangers, with warm hospitality and of course a kiss to wish everyone a happy New Year. The underlying belief is to make a clean break with the old year and welcome in a young, New Year on a positive note. The magical Firework display and torchlight procession in Edinburgh is reminiscent of the ancient custom at Scottish Hogmanay pagan parties hundreds of years ago. The traditional New Year’s Eve party would involve people dressing up in the hides of cattle and running around the village being hit by sticks. The festivities would also include the lighting of bonfires, tossing torches and rolling blazing tar barrels down the hill. Animal hide was wrapped around sticks and set alight which produced a smoke that was believed to ward off evil spirits. The smoking stick was also known as a Hogmanay.  Click here for more on London's best events and Christmas parties.
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