Hogmanay
31 December 2026 — Happy New Year! I bring coal and cake for a warm home and good luck!
Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of the New Year and one of the country's biggest folk festivals. The origin of the word is not fully settled, and the customs have taken shape over many centuries. The best-known tradition is first-footing: the first person to cross the threshold after midnight brings symbolic gifts, usually a lump of coal for warmth, plus food, drink or a bannock for plenty. The household's luck is said to depend on the visitor, and a dark-haired man is traditionally thought best. Many people also clean the house beforehand to start the year afresh. Torchlight processions and bonfires in several towns symbolically see off the old year. At midnight, people join hands and sing “Auld Lang Syne” to words by Robert Burns. The largest celebrations take place in Edinburgh. Hogmanay falls on 31 December, New Year's Eve, and the festivities often continue through 1 and 2 January.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver star figure made of bright dots and fine lines, like a constellation drifting across the sky: a tall wanderer in a long coat, carrying a glowing lump of coal in one hand and a round oatcake in the other, leaving a trail of tiny sparkling stars
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