New Year's Eve

Tonight, many will sing a Scottish folk song written by Robert Burns, They'll sing, “we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne" at Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year’s Eve. Hogmanay derives from a French word for a gift given at the New Year.

Just after midnight, someone scrambles into the house of a neighbor or friend with gifts. This is called "first footing" or becoming the first person to bring good fortune for the new year. The first-footer is a tall dark-haired male. Anything else could mean bad luck.

Customs vary by region within Scotland and include, decorated herrings, fireballs, pipe bands, fruit cakes, song and whiskey. Scottish-American humorist Craig Ferguson described Scotland’s Hogmanay celebrations: “It is a time when people who can inspire awe in the Irish for the amount of alcohol that they drink decide to ramp it up a notch."

Have a safe New Year's Eve. Get to sleep early! Then you will have a clear head to find your way into the New Year on January 1, 2020.