During Denmark's New Year's Eve tradition, old plates are sometimes thrown at friends' doors to symbolize friendship.
The Danish custom involves saving unwanted crockery and smashing or throwing it at the doors of friends and neighbors around New Year's Eve. A large pile of broken plates outside a home is traditionally interpreted as a sign that the household has many loyal friends. The practice is playful rather than a formal national ceremony, and not every Danish household follows it.
Another Danish New Year's custom is to jump from a chair or sofa at midnight. The leap symbolically carries people into the new year. These practices sit alongside parties, fireworks, champagne, and the televised New Year's address from the monarch, which is a major part of the Danish holiday.
The plate tradition can be confused with general descriptions of “breaking dishes,” but the distinctive point is that the crockery is directed at friends' doors, not simply broken during a meal. Modern concerns about mess, safety, and property mean the custom is often practiced less literally than in older accounts.