In Denmark, plates are traditionally broken against friends’ doors on New Year’s Eve.
The custom involves saving unwanted or chipped crockery and throwing it at the entrance of friends or neighbors during the holiday. A pile of broken plates has traditionally been interpreted as evidence that a household has many loyal friends. The practice is a playful form of New Year’s goodwill rather than an act of hostility.
Danish New Year’s Eve also includes other distinctive customs. At midnight, some people jump from a chair or sofa, symbolically leaping into the new year. Celebrations commonly feature fireworks, festive meals, and the televised New Year’s address by the monarch.
Descriptions of plate-smashing can vary because the custom is not practiced by every Danish household, and modern concerns about mess, safety, and waste have reduced it in some places. It should not be confused with the Greek custom of smashing pomegranates, which is associated with a different tradition.