By Hongwei Jing, Shiqian Xiong
On December 31, 2019, members of BIGC Programme were divided into two groups to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Stirling and Edinburgh.
In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is known as “Hogmanay”, which dates back to Celtic times. This evening Edinburgh will hold a huge celebration to welcome the new year. According to statistics, about 80,000 people take part in this activity every year on New Year’s Eve. From evening till midnight, people from UK and even all over the world gather in Prince Street to participate in the torch parade, watch and even participate in various performances.
From 9 p.m. to midnight, there are still fireworks on the mountain where Edinburgh Castle is located. At the end of the activity, as usual, there is a song “Auld Lang Syne” as the end. With the band playing, people sing this melody in various languages and greet each other with “Happy New Year”.
In addition to the large-scale activities in Edinburgh, Stirling also has its own Hogmanay. Some of us could not attend the New Year celebration in Edinburgh due to various reasons, so they stayed in Stirling to experience the local New Year atmosphere. Stirling would host two spectacular events on the iconic Stirling Castle Esplanade at 7:45pm and 10:45pm. Our group chose the latter one because in it we could experience the live band singing and the gorgeous fireworks.
Before the activity began, the streets were covered with colorful lights on the way to the castle. The lonely cold night also curiously peeped into the bright and warm street and the crowd gathered to the castle.
Stephanie Cheape and Trecherous Orchestra began to give performance at the foot of Stirling castle at 10.45pm. Stephanie Cheape’s beautiful, magnetic voice was intoxicating, and Trecherous Orchestra played a variety of upbeat music with a variety of instruments, inspiring the audience to dance.
Around 11:40 pm, huge fireworks soared into the sky after the show ended. The stunning fireworks in the air continued to bloom accompanied by music, pushing the atmosphere of the New Year to the climax. Just before midnight, the band played “Auld Lang Syne,” by Scottish poet Robert Burns. Music knows no boundaries, and the song of universal empathy was perfect for the intersection of 2019 and 2020. Everyone counted down, “7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!”. Family, friends, lovers all hugged and said “happy New Year!” to each other at the very beginning of the new year.
Whether in Edinburgh or Stirling, this New Year’s celebration is an unforgettable memory for all of us. Although far away from home, it is a unique experience of the Scottish Hogmanay in Britain.
