In which Danish New Year's Eve custom do people smash old dishes at friends' doors?

The Danish New Year's Eve custom of smashing old dishes at friends' doors is known as plate smashing. People traditionally throw or break unwanted plates and other crockery outside the homes of friends or neighbors, treating the resulting pile as a sign of affection and popularity.

The custom is associated with the idea that a larger collection of broken dishes indicates more friends. In contemporary Denmark, people may use old or inexpensive crockery rather than valuable household plates, and the practice is less universal than other New Year's traditions.

Danish celebrations also commonly include a midnight toast, fireworks, and the televised New Year's address by the monarch. Plate smashing is sometimes confused with jumping from a chair at midnight, another Danish custom symbolizing a leap into the New Year. Practices vary by household, so not every Danish celebration includes broken plates.