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Hogmanay
Scotland sees the old year out with a ceilidh, reels until midnight, and hands joined for Auld Lang Syne.
What is danced for Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year, and Scotland keeps it with more spirit than Christmas. Village halls, hotels and city streets hold ceilidhs, where a band plays and a caller teaches each dance before it begins. Sets of couples dance reels and jigs. Strip the Willow is often danced in one long line, the length of the hall or street. At midnight everyone joins hands in a ring for Auld Lang Syne. Then comes first-footing, visiting neighbours with a gift to bring them luck.
The dances
Written by the Ghungroo desk with AI assistance. Background: "Hogmanay" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Scottish country dance: © James F. Perry, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Reel: Skubik at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Céilidh: Smithsonian Institution, No restrictions, source