Many Danes traditionally smash old plates against friends' doors on New Year's Eve.
The custom is associated with leaving unwanted crockery at the entrances of friends and neighbors. A large pile of broken plates is interpreted as evidence that the household has many friends willing to celebrate with it. The practice is playful and symbolic rather than a recommendation to damage property indiscriminately.
Danish New Year's celebrations also include speeches, champagne, fireworks, and the traditional leap from a chair at midnight. The plate-smashing custom is one of several regional practices that give the Danish holiday a distinctive character.
Descriptions of the tradition vary by family and locality, and it is less universal today than popular summaries sometimes suggest. The key object is discarded or old crockery, not valuable tableware or a specific type of dinner plate.