I could see my breath when I was walking down the Royal Mile on the chilly New Year's night. I noticed when I was passing pubs and liquor stores that all the windows and doors had been boarded up, as if a hurricane was going to roar through town at any second. Herds of people jammed the streets, some singing, some kissing, and a few vomiting. All this added up to an unbelievable New Year's Eve.

I didn't know that my family had made plans to travel up to Scotland during our stay in London. I was extremely excited to learn that we were going to hop on a train and travel six hours to Edinburgh. I had never been to Scotland before, and since I am 25 percent Scottish, and also q huge fan of Mel Gibson's "Braveheart," I was eager to explore the land.

When we checked into our hotel, the young clerk said with a big smile, "This is probably the last room available in all of Edinburgh," and continued checking us in through the computer system.

My mom had a look of confusion and asked, "Why do you say that? Is Edinburgh usually crowded for New Year's?"

The hotel clerk stopped typing and looked up. With a little giggle, she said in her thick accent, "You know what Hogamany is, right?" Of course, we didn't. What is Hogamany? The first thought in my mind was that it is another Scottish meal, like haggis. But no, as it turns out, Hogamany is the New Year's celebration in Edinburgh, and is one of the biggest parties in the world.

In the center of town is Edinburgh Castle. It is believed that Edwin of Deira fortified the castle rock around 617 A.D. The castle is built upon the hill in the middle of town, overlooking the city around it. Located down the ridge from the castle about a mile east is the Holyrod Palace and Abbey. This is where this stretch of road earned its name, the Royal Mile.

Every other door on the Royal Mile is a door to a pub. The buildings on this road date back to the 12th century. During the Black Plague in the 1300s, Edinburgh was hit hard by death. Dead bodies were stacked in the street during this time, and many of the hills around Edinburgh are just mounds of dirt that covered hundreds of bodies back in the Dark Ages. It was a pleasant thought, especially when my family was eating at a pub on the Royal Mile, and the waiter was telling us all about the history and the ghosts in the building that we're in.

When night fell on New Year's Eve, the Edinburgh police closed off every street in the city. The pubs and liquor stores are boarded up by their owners, who worried about drunken mobs looting their establishments. The five concert stages all around Edinburgh had opening acts warming up, and the three carnivals around town turned on their rides and opened their booths. Now it was time to bring in the New Year.

My brother, Will, and I convinced our parents that it would be a great idea if they did what they wanted to do, while Will and I ran loose. It was a cold night, with snow scattered around the streets. By 9 p.m., all the snow on the ground was black from all the partying people. There were oceans of people moving every which way, but there is nearly an absence of fights, because people generally are trying to have a good time.

My being 6 foot 6, and my brother being 6 foot 5, we kind of stuck out in the crowd. Countless times we were asked if we were Americans, and each time we said yes. Inevitably, the person would say in a drunken tone, "I F*CKIN' KNEW IT!" Finally, one Irishman named Johnny confessed to us that we were both "huge shit brickhouses."

By the time we asked, "Why do you say that?" Johnny had passed out right in front of us on the street. We helped him to his feet, and with great delight, he said, "Thanks Yanks," and proceeded to puke on my shoe. I made a friend that night.

I looked at my wristwatch. We had 10 minutes to go before the New Year. More than 1 million people jammed into the streets and were about to go wild welcoming in 1998. As the time approached, the distant sounds of concerts started to fade, the carnival music died, and we all stood there waiting for midnight. Three, two, one...

Fireworks soared over the castle, all the bands on the five stages started playing with great excitement, and everyone on the street cheered with joy. Once the screaming and hugging was over, the kissing began. The celebration would now last the rest of the night.

It was about 3 in the morning when Will and I started walking back to the hotel room. People were still randomly kissing each other, which I proudly took part in. I realized that New York City doesn't have half the spirit that Edinburgh has on New Year's.

I got on the train the next day to go back to London. I slept like a baby on that ride back, dreaming of the next time I could experience Hogamany.