Woman: Hogmanay
Man: Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New year’s Eve, the 31st of December, and the celebrations that take place then.
Listen to this short conversation:
Man: Wow, it’s incredible here in Edinburgh.
Woman: Well it’s certainly very well organised, I’ve never seen so many people in one place for New Year’s Eve.
Man: You mean Hogmanay my dear, that’s what the Scots call it anyway.
Woman: OK, Hogmanay, but why is it called that.
Man: Nobody knows the exact origin of the word for sure, but, Hogmanay's roots reach back to the pagan practice of sun and fire worship in the deep mid-Winter.

Woman: Revellers
Man: This is another word for “party-goers”, and it simply means people enjoying themselves, at a party or a festival.
For example
Woman: Look at those revellers over there, I’ve got to admit, the Scots really know how to party.
Man: Let’s have another drink and join in.
Woman: “Ticketed festival”
Man: A ticketed festival or party, means you will not be allowed to enter, unless you have a ticket. Tickets can be free from an organisation, or you have to buy them in advance.
For example:
Woman: Look at how many people are here, I thought it was a ticketed party.
Man: It is, but, I think they sold about 500 tickets. Err where are our tickets by the way?
Woman: Good question. Let me check my bag……don’t worry, I didn’t forget them, here they are.

Woman: “A crescendo.”
Man: A crescendo is a noise or piece of music that gets louder and louder.
For example:
Woman: This group is really good. Look everybody’s going crazy.
Man: Well it’s nearly midnight, so it’s reaching a crescendo, before the fireworks start.

Woman: Now let’s listen to some information about Hogmanay, adapted from wikipedia.com
What is Hogmanay?
Hogmanay is the name for the party celebrated on the 31st of December in Scotland. In fact New Years’ Eve in Edinburgh, is the biggest party in the world.
However, if you want to enter the city for the party, you need a ticket, and if you want to book a hotel for this event, you may have to book a year or more before.
Hogmanay is celebrated on New Year's Eve, every year. Usually in a most exuberant fashion in Scotland as hundreds of thousands of revellers take to the streets to see in the New Year. In the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh it has become a huge ticketed festival.
Celebrations start in the early evening and reach a crescendo by midnight. Minutes before the start of new year, a lone piper plays, then the bells of Big Ben chime at the turn of midnight, lots of kissing, and everyone sings Auld Lang Syne. And then there is more kissing. Elsewhere in Scotland, particularly in more remote parts, customary first footing and Scottish dances, or ceilidhs (pronounced "kayli"), take place. For centuries, fire ceremonies, torch light processions, fireball swinging and lighting of New Year fires, played an important part in the Hogmanay celebrations. And they still do.
Adapted from wikipedia.com.