2nd January in United Kingdom

The New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations in Scotland are known as Hogmanay and may last into January 2, an annual bank holiday. This holiday is marked with parties, specially prepared foods and the custom of first footing.

What do people do?

Hogmanay celebrations generally begin in the afternoon or evening of New Year's Eve and continue into early hours of the New Year's Day morning. Some family gatherings or private celebrations organized by groups of friends may continue through to January 2.
In some areas, the custom of first footing continues on January 2. First footing refers to when someone is the first person to enter a house on January 1. For many people in Scotland, January 2 is a day to recover from the Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations or to spend some quiet time with friends or family members before returning to work on January 3.

Public life

January 2 is not a bank or public holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, January 1 and 2 are bank holidays in Scotland. Banks and post offices are closed. There may be limited public transport services or none at all. Some stores and businesses may be closed.
If either or both of January 1 and 2 fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the bank holidays are moved to the next week days. For instance, if January 1 falls on a Saturday and January 2 on a Sunday, the bank holidays are moved to January 3 and 4.