Denmark's New Year's Eve custom of throwing broken plates at doors is known as plate smashing.
In the tradition, people save unwanted crockery and break or throw it against the doors of friends, neighbors, or family members. A large pile of fragments outside a home is traditionally interpreted as a sign that the household has many friends who wished to show affection and goodwill.
The practice is one of several Danish New Year's customs. Another is jumping from a chair or sofa at midnight, symbolically leaping into the new year. The meal may include cod or other festive dishes, and the traditional dessert is often associated with a ring-shaped marzipan cake called kransekage.
Modern participation varies, and the custom is less universal than televised midnight speeches or fireworks. It is also distinct from a general act of vandalism: the broken dishes are part of a recognizable seasonal ritual.