EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Scotland's ancient annual tradition of Hogmanay party celebrations began in Edinburgh Monday in anticipation of the New Year, the BBC reported.

For an event so often fuelled by alcohol, it's not surprising the exact meaning of the word Hogmanay has been lost and confused over at least six centuries.

In 1993, Edinburgh started promoting its Hogmanay as one of the world's largest street parties. It soon grew beyond comfortable limits, with an estimated crowd in excess of 200,000 jammed into Princes Street for the Millennium Hogmanay. Edinburgh City Council has since limited the official ticket sales to 100,000.

The most revered Hogmanay ritual is "first footing" -- a custom that dates back to Viking days. By tradition, a tall dark stranger could bring good luck to a house by turning up to first foot, preferably right after the bells at midnight. The darker the man's complexion the better, since no one wanted a Viking turning up on their doorstep, which that could only mean bad news.

A first footer traditionally brings "the water of life," or single malt scotch whiskey and a piece of coal to warm the family hearth.

Celebrities to voice Moscow subway system

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Managers of Moscow's subway system will experiment using Russian celebrities to announce stops instead of robotic voices, the Moscow Times said Monday.

The Russian actors, actresses and singers will record such announcements as "This is the last stop. We've made it. What good fortune!"

More cerebral is the end of the line announcement: "Our train has crossed this huge city from one end to another. Let's reflect on that."

Organizers say the Moscow metro will be the world's first to use celebrity voices to announce stations, though they admit that the idea itself is not new.

One precedent is the recorded celebrity announcements reminding taxicab passengers to buckle up, featuring the voices of Chris Rock and Joan Rivers, installed in New York City cabs in 1996. Those were pulled this year when a survey found the majority of riders ignored them.

So far, 12 Russian celebrities have recorded messages.

"Dear passengers! For the love of God! When exiting the train, don't forget your personal belongings," warns one actor and director.

50-foot python caught in Indonesia

CURUGSEWU, Indonesia, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Villagers on the Indonesian island of Java have caught alive a python that is almost 50 feet long and weighs nearly 1,000 pounds, The Australian reported.

If confirmed, it would be the largest snake ever kept in captivity, the newspaper reported Monday.

Hundreds of people have flocked to see the snake at a primitive zoo in Curugsewu village on the country's main island of Java, the daily reported.

A local government official said the reticulated python measured 49 feet and weighed in at 985 pounds.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the longest snalke ever ever captured to be 32 feet. The heaviest -- a Burmese Python kept in Gurnee, Ill., -- weighs 402 pounds, the book said on its Web site.

The Indonesian snake, which was caught last year but only recently put on public display, eats three or four dogs a month.

Reticulated pythons are the world's longest snakes. They are capable of eating animals as large as sheep, and have been known to attack and consume humans. The species is native to the swamps and jungles of Southeast Asia.

German psychiatrist says cannibal not nuts

KASSEL, Germany, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A German psychiatrist testified that a self-confessed cannibal who videotaped himself eating his victim is not mentally ill, the BBC reported Monday.

Dr. Heinrich Wilmer said the cannibal, Armin Meiwes, had a personality disorder but did not need to be kept in a psychiatric hospital.

Prosecutors accuse Meiwes of murder, although they accept the man he killed and ate was a willing victim.

While murder carries a life sentence, the lesser charge -- brought in cases of "mercy killing" -- is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Wilmer said his motivation was less sexual than the fulfilment of an urge caused by the fact that his father abandoned him, and the rest of his family, when he was young.

He said the defendant placed his first advertisements for a victim out of a mixture of "farce and madness" but soon became deadly serious.

Wilmer told the court in Kassel that Meiwes was immature and lacked self-control, and that eating human flesh served as a "kick" to stimulate his emotions.