In German Polterabend tradition, porcelain is deliberately broken to bring good luck before a wedding.
Polterabend is a pre-wedding celebration whose name is related to making a loud racket. Guests traditionally smash old porcelain dishes, plates, and other ceramic items outside the couple’s home. The bride and groom then clean up the fragments together, symbolizing cooperation in married life. The noise is also connected with the widespread folklore idea that loud sounds drive away evil spirits.
A common German saying, “Scherben bringen Glück,” means “shards bring luck.” The tradition does not normally call for breaking glass, because glass-breaking is associated with a different wedding custom and may be viewed as bad luck in this context.
Polterabend should not be confused with the wedding reception itself. It is usually held before the ceremony and is separate from the custom of smashing a glass after a Jewish wedding.