The traditional Danish name for New Year’s Eve is Nytårsaften.
Nytårsaften means “New Year’s Eve” in Danish and refers to the evening of December 31. One custom associated with Danish New Year celebrations is throwing or smashing old plates against the doors of friends and neighbors. A large pile of broken crockery was traditionally interpreted as evidence that a household had many friends, although the practice is less universal today than popular descriptions suggest.
Another Danish tradition is watching the monarch’s New Year speech, which is broadcast on December 31. At midnight, people may raise glasses, sing, and jump from a chair or sofa into the new year, a playful ritual said to symbolize entering the new year with good luck.
Nytårsaften should not be confused with Juleaften, Christmas Eve, or Sankt Hans Aften, the midsummer celebration. Danish-language spelling includes the characters ø and å; the word is often written without diacritics in English-language references.