By Abby Cassinia
Everyone loves to start a new year in style, some opt to travel to places they have never been, and others stay with their families. To kick-start the new year, I recommend going to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay, 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 your new year. I think it is not only the best in the UK but also across the world.
Many theories have been brought forward to explain the origin of the word “Hogmanay”. The most notable theories explain that the word has Flemish, Scandinavian, or Anglo-Saxon origins. Nevertheless, 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.
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, the astounding skies, the dances and the music among others give one everything you are looking for. For a moment it felt like I was in 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.
Edinburgh does not only offer the beauty of welcoming a new year but also has some astonishing hotels. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, but it is probably your best bet to book early. Having booked our hotel early and staying for four days, Mike and I got a great deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. The accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hotel was fantastic. The services were good and the staff were really friendly. This made us felt like we were at home.
We tried plenty of traditional Scottish foods whilst we were at Hogmanay. I actually had some of the best shortbread I have ever had. The cold night means that the food should be served hot though and we tried the Haggis and, well, we’re not real sure. You will just have to try it for yourself! There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is a drink you will never miss out on in Scotland. Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. We did a bit of a tour around Scotland after Hogmanay and visited a few distilleries. I think Scotch is my new favourite liquor! The taste of great Scotch is indescribable.
We noticed plenty of tours groups at Hogmanay, so 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, but Mike and I decided we would just book everything ourselves and go it alone.
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 a wickedly incredible experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
Everyone loves to start a new year in style, some opt to travel to places they have never been, and others stay with their families. To kick-start the new year, I recommend going to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay, 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 your new year. I think it is not only the best in the UK but also across the world.
Many theories have been brought forward to explain the origin of the word “Hogmanay”. The most notable theories explain that the word has Flemish, Scandinavian, or Anglo-Saxon origins. Nevertheless, 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.
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, the astounding skies, the dances and the music among others give one everything you are looking for. For a moment it felt like I was in 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.
Edinburgh does not only offer the beauty of welcoming a new year but also has some astonishing hotels. If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, but it is probably your best bet to book early. Having booked our hotel early and staying for four days, Mike and I got a great deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle. The accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hotel was fantastic. The services were good and the staff were really friendly. This made us felt like we were at home.
We tried plenty of traditional Scottish foods whilst we were at Hogmanay. I actually had some of the best shortbread I have ever had. The cold night means that the food should be served hot though and we tried the Haggis and, well, we’re not real sure. You will just have to try it for yourself! There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is a drink you will never miss out on in Scotland. Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world. We did a bit of a tour around Scotland after Hogmanay and visited a few distilleries. I think Scotch is my new favourite liquor! The taste of great Scotch is indescribable.
We noticed plenty of tours groups at Hogmanay, so 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, but Mike and I decided we would just book everything ourselves and go it alone.
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 a wickedly incredible experience.
Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.
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