New Year's Day
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
About This Holiday
The first day of the year, celebrated across the United Kingdom with parties, fireworks, and fresh beginnings.
History
New Year's Day has been celebrated in the UK for centuries. In Scotland, it's known as Hogmanay and is traditionally more significant than Christmas. The day became a bank holiday in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 1974, though Scotland had long celebrated it. The tradition of 'first-footing' (being the first person to enter a home after midnight) is particularly strong in Scotland.
Traditions
Celebrations include watching fireworks displays (especially the London Eye fireworks), making New Year's resolutions, singing 'Auld Lang Syne' at midnight, and in Scotland, the tradition of first-footing where visitors bring gifts like coal, shortbread, or whisky. Many attend street parties and festivities across major UK cities.
Fun Facts
- ✨Scotland didn't recognize Christmas as a public holiday until 1958, but Hogmanay has always been celebrated enthusiastically
- ✨The London Eye fireworks display attracts over 100,000 spectators along the Thames each year
- ✨In Scotland, New Year's Day and January 2nd are both bank holidays
- ✨'Auld Lang Syne,' sung worldwide on New Year's, was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns