In Denmark, people traditionally smash plates on New Year's Eve to symbolize friendship and good luck.
The custom involves throwing old or unwanted plates and other crockery against the doors of friends or neighbors. A large pile of broken dishes outside a home is traditionally interpreted as evidence that the household has many friends willing to wish it well in the new year.
This practice is a folk custom rather than a universal rule followed by every Danish household. Modern concerns about safety, property damage, and waste mean that many people do not perform it, and descriptions of the tradition can vary between regions and generations.
Danish New Year celebrations also commonly include festive meals, speeches, fireworks, and the midnight singing of “Vær Velkommen, Herrens År.” The plate-smashing custom should not be confused with breaking glasses during a toast; the distinctive traditional object associated with this Danish practice is crockery, especially plates.