What does Hogmanay mean and why is it so big in Scotland?

While traditions like the singing of Auld Lang Syne are known far and wide, you may want to know more about the meaning behind the day's name and the reason why it's so important in Scotland.

If you're looking to celebrate Hogmanay armed with some knowledge, look no further.

What does Hogmanay actually mean?

Hogmanay is thought to have ancient Norse and Gaelic origins. (Image: Getty)

While the origins of Hogmanay are thought to come from Norse and Gaelic traditions, the term itself is rather jumbled.

The word was first recorded in a Latin entry from 1443 in Yorkshire as Hagnonayse with the first appearance in the Scots language coming in 1604 in Elgin, according to the New World Encyclopedia.

The term Hogmanay is used to refer to the last day of the year and is synonymous with New Year's Eve.

Why is Hogmanay such an important event in Scotland?

While the new year is celebrated around the globe, it is a particularly big occasion in Scotland where it is known as Hogmanay.

Parties across Scotland tend to last for days with revellers celebrating the occasion from late December to January 2.

According to the BBC, Hogmanay can trace its origins back to the Samhain celebration which was used to mark the end of the harvest and year.

This later morphed into the Yule festival. The drunken debauchery associated with this continued even after Catholicism became Scotland's main religion.

Hogmanay is widely celebrated in Scotland in cities like Edinburgh and Aberdeen. (Image: Getty)

It wasn't until 1640 when Parliament banned the Christmas break over concerns by Presbyterians that the holiday encouraged too much partying that Hogmanay became the main event for many.

This is thought to have encouraged Scots to begin moving their partying to the New Year instead.

The Church of Scotland strongly discouraged the celebration of Christmas for nearly 400 years with it only becoming a public holiday in 1958.