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Saturday December 31, 2005

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Hogmanay \hog-muh-NAY; HOG-muh-nay\ , noun:
The name, in Scotland, for New Year's Eve, on which children go about singing and asking for gifts; also, a gift, cake, or treat given on New Year's Eve.

This is Hogmanay, the gifting of another year, the coming of midnight, the darkest hour, before the turn towards dawn.
-- John F. Deane, "The music of what happens", Irish Times, December 28, 2000

The biggest celebration in Britain was in Edinburgh, where Hogmanay drew about 200,000 people to a free street party in the city centre.
-- "Archbishop of Canterbury calls for greater generosity", Irish Times, January 2, 1999

The origin of the word Hogmanay is unknown.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for Hogmanay

 

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