Danish people traditionally throw old plates on New Year’s Eve to symbolize friendship.
The custom involves smashing unwanted plates or dishes against the doors of friends’ homes. A pile of broken crockery outside a house is traditionally interpreted as evidence that the residents have many friends who wished to celebrate with them.
This practice is a folk custom, not a universal requirement of Danish New Year celebrations. Modern households may observe it less often, and safety concerns make the tradition more controlled than its vivid reputation suggests.
Denmark has other well-known New Year customs as well. People may jump from a chair at midnight, symbolically leaping into the new year, and many watch the monarch’s New Year’s speech before the celebrations continue.