A member of a Shetland Island viking society and 26 colleagues led the Hogmanay parade in Edinburgh Scotland at sunset on New Years Eve, 2013. Hogmanay (hog-ma-nay in Scots English) is the traditional pre-christian ‘end of the year’ celebration unique to Scotland that marks both the last day of the old year and the first day of the new.
Normally, a three day holiday that includes Jan. 2, events run around the clock, and as I can testify, drinking and partying lasts all night through New Year’s morning, to be followed by a long bike ride, hike or walk, and then more celebration. Specific celebratory traditions vary across Scotland but everyone holds to the ‘first footing’ practice. Scots must step foot in the residences of their friends and family usually bearing gifts of coal, candies, or candles (drink is a common modern substitute) during hogmanay. They are greeted with food and drink. At the stroke of mid-night doors are opened to ‘welcome in the new and chase out the old’ accompanied by lots of noise from the house.
Derivation of the word and the practices are not clear, but most believe they are Norse in origin.
I Know this man!
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