While Christmas is important to the Scots, you'll find it's actually Hogmanay (or New Year's Eve) that snags the title of the year's biggest party here. This is partly down to Christmas celebrations being banned in Scotland for around 400 years, from the mid-16th century.
What's more, visiting Scotland in December is a great way to experience Scottish holiday traditions and festivities. This includes Edinburgh's popular Christmas Market and Hogmanay, Scotland's unique New Year celebration.
Scottish people celebrate Christmas by drawing on plenty of other traditions found across countries in Europe and the West. In Scotland, you'll see Christmas trees lighting up people's houses and wreaths on the front door. People put presents under the tree and leave mince pies for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve.
At this time, a period known as the Scottish Reformation, Christmas was considered extravagant and largely associated with Catholicism. As the country had adopted Protestant views during the Reformation, this association slowly led to a complete ban.
Scottish Christmas & Hogmanay: History, traditions and tips for visiting!
What is very popular in Scotland at Christmas?
People sing carols (wassailing) and decorate their houses with lights, putting a Christmas tree in the window and a wreath on the door. Children write letters to Santa Claus, and on Christmas Eve leave something for him to eat (like a mince pie) and drink (like sherry or whisky) when he visits in the night.
To determine who is the best, the study looked at the duration of the 35 Christmas markets in the UK, as well as TikTok views, chances of snow and the average hotel costs. Following Machester, Edinburgh came second, with Liverpool taking third spot on the list. Glasgow came fourth, and Aberdeen took fifth place.
Santa. Known around the world as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle & Papa Noel, in Scotland we simply refer to Father Christmas as Santa.
More than 50% of Christmases have been classified as white since 1960. Last year was one of them. While no weather stations recorded any lying snow, 9% recorded falling snow. 2021 was also classified as a white Christmas with snow in Braemar and Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, Strathallan in Perthshire and across Shetland.
Some parts of Scotland refer to Christmas Eve as Sowans Nicht, presumably inspired by the dish Sowans, which consists of oat husks and fine meal that had been steeped in water for several days until sour – yum.
Dishes like Roast Pork, Glazed Ham, Roast Angus Beef, Steak pie, Roast Leg of Lamb are also served at the Christmas dining table. For dessert, the most traditional is the Christmas pudding, usually served with brandy sauce cream.
Though the beauty of Edinburgh's Old Town is hard to compete with, Glasgow's foodie scene, epic street art, grungy-hipster vibe, endlessly vibrant nightlife, annual festivals, sweet performing arts venues, and live music gigs more than make up for it.
December, January and February are generally the coldest months in Scotland, with the average maximum temperature usually around 5°C (41°F). The average number of days with snow falling in Scotland ranges from 10-20 days. However, the peaks and mountains of the Highlands experience around 40 days of falling snow.
One of the most interesting facts about Scottish Christmas traditions is they haven't been around very long. For nearly 400 years, the Scottish Presbyterian Church banned celebration of Christmas as we know it, so Christmas traditions faded away.
There are so different ways to say “cheers” in many countries all over the world, however, in Scotland, it's Slàinte Mhath! Irish or Scots Gaelic? The term Slàinte Mhath (Pronounced Slanj-a-va) is actually both Irish and Scots Gaelic.
It is commonly used to refer to Santa Claus specifically, or Christmas and the Christmas holiday season. As you'd expect, the usage of the Santa Claus emoji 🎅 increases significantly leading up to Christmas on December 25.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for new year celebrations. It is not known exactly where the word comes from, although it is believed to come from the French word 'hoginane' meaning 'gala day'. It is thought to have first been used widely following Mary, Queen of Scots' return to Scotland from France in 1561.
Why is January 2 traditionally a bank holiday in Scotland? The reason for Scotland having an extra day off is linked to the significance of the new year celebrations. Historically, Hogmanay was a bigger celebration in Scotland than even Christmas.
This is because Scotland enjoys some temperate weather all year long (especially for a Northern European country!) meaning the winter, while rainy, isn't too cold, and is perfect for sightseeing or enjoying nature.
During the festive season Edinburgh becomes a sparkling winter wonderland. Whether you want to embrace all things traditional, or seek new ways of celebrating the holidays, there's no shortage of things to do to keep all the family merry and bright.
Where in Scotland has the biggest Christmas market?
Edinburgh. The king of Scottish Christmas markets, Edinburgh has endless lines of street food stalls, grotto bars, fairground rides and craft producers. The market takes place in Princes Street Gardens, George Street and along the Royal Mile.
Recent News. Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.
One of the great things about visiting the Isle of Skye in winter is that not many other people do. Fewer crowds means less waiting around to take photos and more peace to soak up the scenery. Areas like the Fairy Pools get so many visitors in the summer months that overtourism is becoming a problem.
