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Edinburgh’s hogmanay festival 2014, Scotland

Edinburgh's hogmanay festival 2014, Scotland

Edinburgh’s hogmanay 2014
Date: 31st December 2014
Place : Edinburgh City Centre, Scotland.

Edinburgh’s hogmanay is the scottish word for the last day in the year, it resembles the new year bash in the Scottish manner. How ever new year celebrations move on around the year, Scots have the special name for the new year eve ‘Hogmanay’. This festival is annually celebrated in every year on the 31st December which holds upto the first day of the new year and at some cases to 2nd January.

The celebrations of the hogmanay generally starts in the evening of the 31st December and reaches to peaks in the midnight accompanied with the ringing of the bells, singing of the songs, especially the old folk song “Auld Lang Syne”. The time is all dedicated to the joy of oneself carried with wishes among the people one to the another.

According to the legend this festival is celebrated as a practice of worship for the sun and fire during the season of winter. Later this festival was celebrated by Romans on the name of Saturnalia,  where the people used to enjoy the festival with out any restraint. With some moderation’s Vikings celebrated this festival with the name of Yule, which later became 12 days of Christmas festival.

From one area to the another the activities of the festival varies in the Scotland. Some of the activities include folk song, dancing, singing, swinging of the fireballs, torch light processions and many others. These activities run for the entire evening and are followed on the next day morning with the great happiness, fun and laughter.

Edinburgh is popularly treated as the home of Hogmanay, there holds the world’s biggest New year party. Thousands of people join the biggest bash held in the central Ediburgh for the big party of the music, it is followed with the world’s great fireworks with the backdrop display the Edinburgh castle. The local New year festival move very seriously, New year not only addresses January 1st as the holiday but they also take off on 2nd January.

Due to the year on year increase in the number of attendees to the Edinburgh New year festival, few years before the local council had make the street party as a ticket event. So, if you are going to join the fest it is recommended to have a street pass. It is even included for the people who are in the inclusive tour to Edinburgh.

The traditional function of New Year would addresses the people who are dressed up in the hides of cattle and the event follows with running here and there in the entire village and are being hit by sticks. The other festivities take places in the celebrations include the lighting of bonfires(Some view the fire as a bright light to follow in the coming unknown year), tossing torches, rolling the tar barrels down the hill. Some of these activities are still seen in few of the small and old communities. People believe that the fire in the festival symbolizes many things.

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