"From Edinburgh and Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness, Scots usher in the New Year with music, dancing, singing, poetry and games in a festival known as Hogmanay. No one knows if the name came from French, Norse or Gaelic speakers. Hogmanay celebrations were brought to Scotland by Vikings in the 8th and 9th centuries. For many Scots, it's more of a time to exchange presents with family and friends than Christmas. In fact, the Scottish Presbyterian Church banned Christmas for 400 years, until 1958, proclaiming it a Catholic feast. The three-day celebration is Scotland's biggest TV event of the year with live broadcasts to more than 100 countries. Tourists from 60 countries travel to the capital, Edinburgh, to participate in a huge street party along Princess Avenue. It begins with a torchlight procession by thousands of men dressed as Vikings, who carry armor and shields. Traditional Scottish music is played by numerous bagpipe bands and drummers before a midnight fireworks display by Edinburgh Castle. The Hogmanay custom of singing "Auld Lang Syne" - a traditional poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns and set to the tune of a traditional folk song at the conclusion of New Year's Eve- has caught on in many countries." - Anne Bouey

How many hogs you got man? Many. There you go. - Todd Hoff