How the Scottish influenced Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve celebrations
Hong Kong has close ties to Scotland including its own Aberdeen, streets named after Scottish colonials and hiking trails named after governors
Compared to Lunar New Year, Western New Year’s Eve can seem a rather lacklustre affair. While it’s probably the most widely celebrated occasion in the modern world, an impartial observer might not be able to pin any unique attributes to the holiday. It is neither a religious festival nor a distinct cultural tradition. It doesn’t have dragons or brightly coloured lions, nor does it have a huge bearded man in a red suit, still less, a baby in a manger.
Perhaps that’s why, for their New Year’s inspiration, English-speaking nations all the way from North America to Britain to Australia and New Zealand look to the Scottish tradition of Hogmanay. Because when it comes to New Year’s Eve, the Scots display a creativity and joie de vivre that can go toe to toe with the most colourful festivals in the world.
And let’s not forget, Hong Kong has close ties to Scotland: the city has its own Aberdeen and a profusion of streets and landmarks: consider Lockhart Road, named after Colonial Secretary James Haldane Stewart Lockhart, or the MacLehose Trail, named after former Governor Murray MacLehose. So there’s more than enough excuses to do New Year’s the Scottish way.