I recall reading many years ago that the standing stones of Scotland were revered by nomadic peoples/clans/trbes from earliest oral tradition(this being put to paper by monks)....and they gathered at them and lit fires on the longest and shortest days to summon from or allow departure to the realm of the dead, or perhaps just to remember and honour long dead ancestors, quite often drink was splashed on the stones as an offering(perhaps where the legends of stones drinking originated??)...the stones were universal and didn't belong to any one clan...only to the dead.
However when towns and villages sprung up...the town cross was usually erected on the site of something sacred to memory or by the town/village water supply....and at winter time the travelling folk came into towns bearing gifts to meet with the town dwellers for celebrations and shelter as well as to trade.(Possibly the basis of the custom of the first foot in Scottish folklore being a tall dark and handsome stranger??).
It is no surprise that people still congregate at town crosses...Nelson's Column...standing stones..etc at New Year...they are only following in the footsteps of ancient tradition. Mind you nowhere did I ever read that climbing on any of the edifices was considered an act of honouring....so where that tradition came from is probably more due to the effects of grape and grain!!