New Year's Eve in Denmark is called Nytårsaften.
The Danish term combines nytår, meaning “new year,” with aften, meaning “evening.” Danish families commonly celebrate with a festive meal, fireworks, and a midnight toast. A nationally watched part of the evening is the monarch's New Year's speech, traditionally broadcast on December 31.
Another well-known Danish custom is jumping from a chair or sofa at midnight. The leap symbolically carries people into the new year. Some people also eat kransekage, a ring-shaped almond cake associated with celebrations, and drink sparkling wine.
Danish New Year's Eve has a separate tradition involving old plates: people may smash unwanted crockery against friends' or neighbors' doors, although the practice is less universal than popular descriptions suggest. It should not be confused with Juleaften, Christmas Eve, or Fastelavn, a later Danish carnival tradition.