Nobody is exactly sure where the name Hogmanay actually originated. Some believe it may be from the words Haleg Monath, meaning Holy Month in the Anglo-Saxon language, and other's contend it may have been derived from the Gaelic words oge maidne, which means New Morning. Still others believe it may also have been a variant of the Scandanavian words Hoggo-nott and others contend the word came from the Auld Alliance (French) and the phrase Homme est ne' (meaning "man is born"). Again some believe the festival may have been brought south by the invading Norsemen (North men) and others contend it has it's origins in Celtic religion. Still others believe it dates back to the Picts. What is known is that it is a New Year's celebration which has remained an integral part of Scotland's culture for centuries upon centuries.

Hogmanay is a grand celebration of a new beginnings which happens in the days following the Winter Solstice (shortest day of the year). This is the time of year when the days gradually begin to grow longer...

For the better part of four decades, Hogmanay, not Christmas was also the time of year where Scottish families would gather together to celebrate and also exchange gifts -- the gifts became known as Hogmanays (a word believed to come from the Normandy word hoguignetes (gifts)...yea it gets confusing)..

In a curious bit of history, the Kirk viewed Christmas as a decidedly Catholic holiday and after the many changes brought about by the Protestant Reformation (in the 17th century) Christmas, along with any ceremony officially sanctioned by the Pope, were pretty much viewed with disdain by the Kirk fathers and thusly banned. For a good four centuries, right up until as recently as the 1950s Christmas was not actually actively celebrated in Scotland.

There are many curious customs associated with Hogmany which includes preparing for the New Year by cleaning the house (a guid Spring cleaning of sorts -- also know as a "redding."), paying off debts and being sure to clean all the ashes out their fireplace (it was believed by some that you could read the future revealed in the old ashes) -- all symbolic of starting anew.

At midnight, just after the bell rings (or on our side of the pond in NYC the ball drops at Times Square) the familiar melody of Auld Lang Syne shortly follows. . This tune has become popular across the globe, although this tradition actually originated as a part of Scotland's Hogmanay celebrations. In a sidenote: There are two versions of Auld Lang Syne, and the song had been around for the better part of a century before Robert Burns added his additional verses to it.

Today in the bigger cities the New Year is also celebrated with a grand fireworks display. Other regions host large bon fires and in a costal North-East town of Stonehaven (in Aberdeenshire -- also believed to be the town where the gastronomic delight deep fried Mars Bars originated) they bring in the New Year with an ancient fire ball ceremony (they say wear old clothes to this as there's a risk of getting holes from the sparks). The town of Burghead celebrates Hogmany on January 11th with the Burnin' O' the Clavie (another ceremony which nobody is quite sure of the exact origins of).

On Hogmany it is believed lucky if the first person to cross the threshold of your home is a tall dark handsome lad. This person, known as a "first footer" arrives after midnight bearing gifts which include a lump of coal, black bun, shortbread and, of course, an ample supply of whisky...

Hogmanay celebrations and customs vary depending on which part of Scotland you visit so...

To learn more about Hogmanay...

Hogmanay.net -- Info on celebrations anywhere in Scotland
http://www.hogmanay.net/

Clan Sinclair SC
http://www.clansinclairsc.org/hogmanay.htm

Historic UK
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/Scotland-History/Hogmanay.htm

Edinburgh Hogmanay
http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/

Edible Beans (traditions in Southern US inspired by First Footing)
http://www.luckymojo.com/newyearbean.html

Hogmanay Traditions on Visit Scotland.com ("i" website)
http://www.visitscotland.com/library/hogmanaytraditions

Auld Lang Syne lyrics on Hogmanay.net
http://www.hogmanay.net/auldlangsynelyrics.shtml

Hogmanay info from Rampant Scotland
http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow12.htm

Google search for Hogmanay