In the German-language television tradition, the short comedy Dinner for One is famously broadcast every New Year's Eve.
The 1963 film records a stage sketch featuring an elderly woman, Miss Sophie, celebrating her 90th birthday with four absent guests. Her butler, James, serves the meal and drinks while impersonating each guest, gradually becoming more intoxicated. Its recurring line, “The same procedure as every year,” became closely associated with the holiday.
Although the sketch is British and performed in English, it became an extraordinary annual television tradition in Germany and several other northern European countries. In Germany, it is commonly shown on December 31, often in multiple versions or at several times.
A common misconception is that the program is a major British New Year's Eve tradition. It is much more strongly identified with German-speaking broadcasting, where its repeated holiday screenings have made it a cultural fixture.