New Year in Scotland

New Year is a big celebration in Scotland, as it is in Japan. The day and especially the evening before New Year is called Hogmanay.

Some people wait up till midnight in their homes and then have a drink or something to eat to celebrate. When you have a drink at midnight, it is called toasting the New Year, and the whole time can be called bringing the New Year in or seeing the New Year in.

Other people will go to pubs or to community events like parties. Edinburgh has a big festival for Hogmanay with street parties, although this year they were cancelled because of stormy weather. Other people will go to bed early but be in touch with family and friends on New Year's Day, when many people have a special dinner.

There are no trains and buses on New Year's Day and most shops are shut for the holiday.

When you visit family and friends at this time, it is very important to take a present to bring the household good luck and prosperity. This is especially true for the person who comes in the house first in the New Year, whether at midnight or on the next days. They are called the first foot. People go on first footing to other houses too with gifts. Often the gift is a bottle of whisky but it can be anything good to eat or to drink or fuel for the fire. You can take a box of shortbread for example or a lump of coal.

Traditionally, you can visit friends and family even for a few days afterwards to share the celebration or even take late Christmas presents. Then finally the Christmas decorations are taken down till the next time and the Christmas cake is eaten up.

(Main photo is homemade shortbread from Scotland
By Thorsten Alge - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3275409)

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