The Danish New Year’s Eve tradition of throwing broken dishes at doors is called plate smashing.
People traditionally save unwanted plates and other crockery during the year, then throw them against the doors of friends and neighbors on New Year’s Eve. A large pile of broken dishes outside a home is interpreted as a sign that the household has many loyal friends.
The custom is often described alongside other Danish New Year practices, including jumping from a chair at midnight to “leap” into the new year. Modern participation varies, and some accounts describe the dish-throwing tradition as less common than it once was.
This custom should not be confused with smashing a plate during a Greek celebration, where breaking dishes has different cultural associations. In Denmark, the key idea is friendship and good fortune expressed through crockery left at someone’s doorstep.