Plates are traditionally smashed against friends' or neighbors' doors in a Danish New Year's Eve custom.
In the tradition, people break unwanted or old plates and leave the pieces outside the homes of friends or neighbors. A large pile of fragments is interpreted as a sign that a household has many loyal friends. The custom turns an ordinary household object into a symbolic measure of social connection.
The practice is often described alongside other Danish New Year's customs, such as standing on chairs and jumping down at midnight to symbolically leap into the New Year. Fireworks, festive meals, and the televised New Year's address from the monarch have also been important parts of Danish celebrations, though practices vary over time.
Accounts differ about how widespread plate smashing remains today. It is a traditional custom rather than a universal requirement, and modern safety and environmental concerns can affect whether people continue it. The key object is plates, not drinking glasses, even though glassware is also associated with New Year's toasts.