🎉 Why Scots call New Year’s Eve “Hogmanay”

The word Hogmanay (often pronounced “hog‑muh‑nay”) is the Scots word for the last day of the year, and it’s synonymous with the Scottish way of celebrating New Year’s Eve.

But the origin of the word is surprisingly mysterious — even scholars can’t agree. What we do know is:

🕰️ Earliest records

• The word appears in Scotland as early as 1604, spelled hagmonay in Elgin.
• Earlier forms appear in northern England in the 1400s.

🧭 Where does the word come from?

The exact origin is uncertain, but there are three main theories:

Possible Origin	Explanation	Evidence
French	From hoguinané or aguillanneuf, meaning a New Year’s gift or celebration	This is the most commonly cited theory
Norse	Linked to winter solstice traditions brought by Vikings	Fits with Scotland’s strong Norse influence
Gaelic	Possibly from a phrase meaning “new morning” or “yule feast”	Less widely accepted but still discussed

🎭 Why it matters in Scotland

Hogmanay became huge in Scotland partly because Christmas was not widely celebrated for centuries due to the Reformation. So New Year became the big winter celebration — full of:

• First-footing
• Fire festivals
• Feasting
• Singing Auld Lang Syne
• Visiting neighbours

It’s still one of Scotland’s most important holidays today.