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In Scotland, people celebrate the new year with the Festival of Hogmanet.

It's a name that brings to mind torchlight processions through the streets,

or fireworks above Edinburgh Castle.

Or perhaps you might picture a smaller gathering at home, with shortbread, whiskey, and other local treats.

It's a time of togetherness and age-old customs.

We'll explore these customs tonight as we trace the origins of Hogmanet.

It's a journey that will take us across Scotland and beyond through centuries of tradition.

So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of Hogmanee. To truly understand the story of Houghmanet, it's important to consider why and how the transition from one year to the next has been celebrated throughout human history.

So before we head to Scotland, let's take a brief look at New Year celebrations across the world.

It seems that people have marked the beginning of the year at least as far back as 2000 BCE.

One of the earliest known events was in ancient Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq.

There the New Year was known as Okitu and it coincided with the new moon.

In Babylonia it was the moon after the vernal equinox, the 20th or 21st of March by today's

calendar.

While in nearby Assyria, it was the moon after the autumn equinox, which falls in September on the 22nd or 23rd.

Okitu celebrations lasted for up to 12 days.

There were prayers and processions and countless religious ceremonies,

...