What is the name of the traditional Danish New Year’s Eve practice of jumping from a chair at midnight?
Answer
Jumping into the New Year
The traditional Danish New Year’s Eve practice of jumping from a chair at midnight is known as jumping into the New Year.
At midnight, participants climb onto a chair, sofa, or other raised surface and jump down as the clock strikes twelve. The action symbolically represents leaping into the new year and is associated with bringing good luck. It is a playful household custom rather than a formal religious ceremony.
Danish New Year celebrations also include fireworks, champagne, the television address by the monarch, and the New Year’s Eve dinner. Another well-known Danish custom is smashing or leaving broken plates outside friends’ homes, although the prevalence and form of that practice vary among families and over time.
The chair-jumping tradition is sometimes described with different English translations, so “jumping into the New Year” is the clearest standard description. It should not be confused with the midnight ball drop in New York or the twelve-grape ritual in Spain.