In Denmark's New Year's Eve celebration, people traditionally jump off chairs at midnight to symbolize jumping into the new year.
The custom is a playful household ritual performed as the clock approaches twelve. Participants stand on chairs or other raised furniture and jump down when midnight arrives. The action represents leaving the old year and leaping into the new one, rather than marking a sporting or religious ceremony.
Danish New Year's celebrations also include a televised monarch's speech, fireworks, and festive foods. Another well-known custom is the creation or exchange of kransekage, a tower-shaped almond confection often served for special occasions.
The chair-jumping practice is sometimes described as literally “jumping into the new year.” It should not be confused with Denmark's tradition of smashing old plates against friends' or neighbors' doors, which is a separate custom associated with good luck and friendship.