2nd January

Scotland is unique in the UK in having two consecutive New Year bank holidays — 1 January and 2 January — reflecting the central importance of Hogmanay to Scottish culture and history.

In Scotland, Christmas celebrations were suppressed during the Protestant Reformation from the 16th century onward. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged the observance of Christmas as a Catholic festival, and Christmas Day was not a Scottish public holiday until 1958. This suppression redirected winter festivities toward the New Year — and Hogmanay filled the cultural space that Christmas occupied in England and elsewhere in Europe.

Hogmanay traditions evolved richly over centuries: the Edinburgh Hogmanay street party (one of the world's great New Year celebrations), midnight fireworks over Edinburgh Castle, first footing (bringing gifts of coal, shortbread, salt, and whisky to neighbours after midnight), the Loony Dook (cold-water swimming on 1 January), and ceilidhs (traditional Scottish dances) throughout the night.

The second bank holiday on 2 January gives Scots time to recover from celebrations that typically run from the evening of 31 December through the small hours of 2 January — and acknowledges that the Hogmanay celebration is culturally too significant to be compressed into a single day off.

The 2 January bank holiday in Scotland is fixed on 2 January. If it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the substitute is the following Monday. However, if 1 January's substitute (in the case of 1 January falling on a Sunday) already uses Monday 2 January, then the 2 January bank holiday moves to Tuesday 3 January.

2 January is a bank holiday in Scotland only. It is not a bank holiday in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. When 2 January falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute weekday is given in Scotland.

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and Working Time Regulations 1998, workers in Scotland whose contracts include bank holidays are entitled to a paid day off on 2 January. There is no statutory penalty rate for working — any enhanced pay is contractual, not a legal requirement.

Recovery from Hogmanay is the primary tradition of 2 January — the celebrations of New Year's Eve and the early hours of New Year's Day are such that a second day of rest is culturally essential. Many Scots continue visiting family and friends on 2 January, extending the festive period.

New Year concerts and events continue in Edinburgh and Glasgow on 1–2 January, with the Edinburgh Hogmanay festival typically running to 2 January. First footing visits sometimes continue into 2 January for those who have not yet visited all their neighbours and friends.

The Loony Dook — cold-water swimming events held at various locations across Scotland — takes place primarily on 1 January but some events continue into 2 January. Participants brave freezing waters in costumes, raising money for charity.