Editing Hogmanay (section)

==Major celebrations==
[[File:Edinburgh Hogmanay Longship.jpg|right|thumb|A [[Viking longship]] is burnt during Edinburgh's annual Hogmanay celebrations (though Edinburgh has no historical connection with those [[Norse in Scotland|Norse who invaded]] Scotland).]]

As in much of the world, the largest Scottish cities – [[Glasgow]], [[Edinburgh]] and [[Aberdeen]] – hold all-night celebrations, as do [[Stirling]] and [[Inverness]]. The [[Edinburgh Hogmanay]] celebrations are among the largest in the world. Celebrations in Edinburgh in 1996–97 were recognised by the ''[[Guinness Book of Records]]'' as the world's largest New Years party, with approximately 400,000 people in attendance. Numbers were then restricted due to safety concerns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12354687.numbers-cut-for-hogmanay-party/|title=Numbers cut for Hogmanay party|website=HeraldScotland|date=4 November 1997 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-17}}</ref>

In 2003-4, most organised events were cancelled at short notice due to very high winds. The Stonehaven Fireballs went ahead as planned, however, with 6,000 people braving the stormy weather to watch 42 fireball swingers process along the High Street.<ref name="sfa">'[http://stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/history History of the Stonehaven Fireballs Ceremony] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104235638/http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/history |date=4 January 2008 }}', 3 January 2008, at ''Stonehaven Fireballs Association''. Retrieved 3 January 2008.</ref> Similarly, the 2006–07 celebrations in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Stirling were all cancelled on the day, again due to high winds and heavy rain.<ref name="bbc">'[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6221557.stm Weather spoils Hogmanay parties]', 1 January 2007, at ''BBC News, Scotland''. Retrieved 21 December 2007.</ref> The Aberdeen celebration, however, went ahead and was opened by pop music group [[Wet Wet Wet]].

Many Hogmanay festivities were cancelled in 2020–21 and 2021–22 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-21|title=Hogmanay events cancelled as Covid rules tightened|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-59745262|access-date=2021-12-21}}</ref>
The Edinburgh event was also cancelled in 2024-25 due to high winds.