National Monument of Scotland, Edinburgh (© Serge_Bertasius/iStock/Getty Images)

Three… two… one… Hold that countdown—Scotland has its own way of ending the year, and it's called Hogmanay. Today, while most places squeeze their celebrations into a single night, Scotland stretches New Year's into a marathon of fire, music and tradition that can last three days. Hogmanay grew from winter rituals and Viking influence, becoming the main year-end festival when Christmas took a quieter back seat.