Destination December: Edinburgh and Hogmanay

I think I was in my mid-twenties when I first realized that it was pronounced Edin-bur-uh,
but hey, then I went and had an amazing time and will never make the mistake again. Besides, I figure it the fault of
the Scots if they can’t make the spelling of their city jive with the pronunciation. That said, why choose
Edinburgh for a Destination December? Well, it’s really the END of December I’m talking about, from December 29 through
the New Year. That is when the world-famous Hogmanay
Festival
 takes place, attracting people from all over Europe and the world.

Several sources of good repute…um, this guy I know…and another guy…have told me that
Hogmanay is really, extremely, absurdly fun. There are torchlight processions,
fireworks, tons of amazing music and film…and of course, scotch. If you want to learn more about Hogmanay, check out
the Wiki entry. But, briefly, in the traditional practice, Homanay
starts with what’s called first-footing the day after midnight of the 29th. This involves giving gifts to
neighbors or friends, symbolic gifts like coal (yes, Bob, here is some coal…Happy Hogmanay!). Still, it’s the
thought that counts.