In a Danish New Year's Eve tradition, plates are famously thrown or smashed at friends' doors for good luck.
The custom involves saving unwanted crockery and breaking it outside the homes of friends or relatives around New Year's. A large pile of broken plates was traditionally interpreted as evidence that a household had many friends willing to show affection through the ritual. The practice is a colorful folk custom rather than a universal requirement for Danish celebrations.
Danish New Year also includes a midnight speech by the monarch, fireworks, and the eating of special foods. Another well-known custom is jumping from a chair or sofa at midnight, symbolically leaping into the new year. These customs can coexist with modern parties and international countdown traditions.
Descriptions sometimes say that Danes break dishes “at the door,” while others emphasize throwing plates against the door. The wording varies, but the characteristic object is crockery—especially plates. The tradition should not be confused with the separate custom of smashing plates in parts of Greece.