Everyone loves to start a new year in style, some opt to travel to places they have never been, and others prefer to spend the time with their family. To kick-start the new year, I recommend going to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay festival, which is just completely amazing. The people, the food and the party itself left me with a very memorable experience. Hogmanay (last day of the year in Scottish) in Edinburgh is recognized as one of the best places to welcome in the new year. I think it is not only the best in the UK but also around the world.
So what is the origin of Hogmanay celebrations? Historians believe that the Hogmanay celebrations are deep-rooted from the Vikings who treated the eve of the New Year with special interest. There are plenty of theories to explain the origin of the word "Hogmanay". The most notable ones reckon that the word is either Flemish, Scandinavian, or even Anglo-Saxon in origin.
Having personally experienced the New Year's Eve celebration of Hogmanay in Scotland, I can confidently say it is a breath-taking event. The fireworks in the night skies, the dancing and the music among others give you everything you are looking for in a New Year's Eve. For a moment it felt like I was on a different planet and just wanted the party to continue. I was particularly surprised with the large number of people who attended. I'm thinking there were over 250,000 partygoers from all around the world. I was there with an American friend, Mike, and you could see the smile and happiness in his face at how awesome the night was.
But hey, you have to sleep somewhere sometime after New Year's Eve has finished and Edinburgh has some great places to stay. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, whether hotel or hostel, but remember to book early to get the best prices. Mike and I got a fantastic deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. However, we only got that deal because we planned ahead and booked early for the full 4 nights. I can highly recommend the Sheraton Grand Hotel, it was just amazing. The service was always first rate and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. This helped us have an amazing time for the 4 day Hogmanay festival.
Mike and I tried plenty of traditional Scottish foods whilst we were at Hogmanay. The cold night means that the food should be served hot and we even gave the Haggis a run. It wasn't for me, but Mike went back for seconds. Maybe just give it a go for yourself and see what you think. If you like sweets I actually had some of the best shortbread I have ever had. There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is the drink of Scotland. You know what they say, "When In Rome"! But hey, Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. I actually think Scotch is my new favourite drink! I just love really good Scotch, the taste is incredible.
If you aren't the type to book stuff yourself well there seemed like plenty of tour groups doing tours to Edinburgh for Hogmanay. If you're looking at travelling with a whole group of people then you should check out some of these companies that organise Hogmanay tours. Travelling as a group can be the best experience ever if that is you're thing.
There was plenty of things happening at Hogmanay, but there is nothing like singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight in the country where the song originated. It really was an incredible experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
So what is the origin of Hogmanay celebrations? Historians believe that the Hogmanay celebrations are deep-rooted from the Vikings who treated the eve of the New Year with special interest. There are plenty of theories to explain the origin of the word "Hogmanay". The most notable ones reckon that the word is either Flemish, Scandinavian, or even Anglo-Saxon in origin.
Having personally experienced the New Year's Eve celebration of Hogmanay in Scotland, I can confidently say it is a breath-taking event. The fireworks in the night skies, the dancing and the music among others give you everything you are looking for in a New Year's Eve. For a moment it felt like I was on a different planet and just wanted the party to continue. I was particularly surprised with the large number of people who attended. I'm thinking there were over 250,000 partygoers from all around the world. I was there with an American friend, Mike, and you could see the smile and happiness in his face at how awesome the night was.
But hey, you have to sleep somewhere sometime after New Year's Eve has finished and Edinburgh has some great places to stay. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, whether hotel or hostel, but remember to book early to get the best prices. Mike and I got a fantastic deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. However, we only got that deal because we planned ahead and booked early for the full 4 nights. I can highly recommend the Sheraton Grand Hotel, it was just amazing. The service was always first rate and the staff were extremely knowledgeable. This helped us have an amazing time for the 4 day Hogmanay festival.
Mike and I tried plenty of traditional Scottish foods whilst we were at Hogmanay. The cold night means that the food should be served hot and we even gave the Haggis a run. It wasn't for me, but Mike went back for seconds. Maybe just give it a go for yourself and see what you think. If you like sweets I actually had some of the best shortbread I have ever had. There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is the drink of Scotland. You know what they say, "When In Rome"! But hey, Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. I actually think Scotch is my new favourite drink! I just love really good Scotch, the taste is incredible.
If you aren't the type to book stuff yourself well there seemed like plenty of tour groups doing tours to Edinburgh for Hogmanay. If you're looking at travelling with a whole group of people then you should check out some of these companies that organise Hogmanay tours. Travelling as a group can be the best experience ever if that is you're thing.
There was plenty of things happening at Hogmanay, but there is nothing like singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight in the country where the song originated. It really was an incredible experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
About the Author:
For an extensive array of information and advice for New Year's Eve in Edinburgh for Hogmanay, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities you should contact the events and festival travel specialists, FOMO Travel.
