Plates are the household items traditionally broken against friends' or neighbors' doors in a Danish New Year's Eve custom.
The practice is known as plate smashing or plate-breaking. People save old, unwanted crockery and throw it at the doors of friends, family members, or neighbors. A pile of broken plates outside a home is traditionally interpreted as a sign that the household has many loyal friends who wished to celebrate with them.
The custom is associated with the wider Danish New Year, or nytår, festivities. It is not a universal activity for every Danish household, and modern celebrations may use safer or more organized alternatives. The objects involved are specifically plates or other pieces of crockery, not necessarily drinking glasses.
Denmark has several recognizable New Year's Eve rituals. At midnight, many people also jump from a chair or sofa into the new year, while the monarch's annual New Year's speech is a major national broadcast. These customs show that Danish celebrations combine household traditions with shared public rituals.