so sometimes i can be longwinded...who knew!! today i'm back to normal

Word of the Day for Saturday December 31, 2005

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," [1]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,"
[2]Irish Times, Saturday, January 2, 1999
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The origin of the word Hogmanay is unknown.