In Denmark's New Year's Eve tradition, people traditionally jump off a chair at midnight.
The custom involves standing on a chair shortly before midnight and jumping down as the clock strikes twelve. It is popularly interpreted as a symbolic leap into the new year, with the action intended to bring good luck and help people leave the old year behind.
Danish New Year's Eve celebrations also commonly feature a televised royal speech, fireworks, and festive food. Many people serve kransekage, a ring-shaped marzipan cake, at midnight or during the evening. The chair-jumping custom is informal and varies among families, so it is not a formally regulated national ceremony.
The tradition is sometimes described as jumping “into” the new year, but participants normally jump from a chair onto the floor. That detail distinguishes it from Denmark's separate practice of breaking or leaving dishes outside friends' homes, another custom associated with New Year celebrations.