In a traditional Danish New Year's Eve custom, people break plates at midnight.
Friends and neighbors may throw old or unused plates against the doors of people they wish good luck in the coming year. A large pile of broken crockery was once interpreted as evidence that a household had many friends and well-wishers.
The practice is a folk custom rather than an official national ceremony, and it is less common today than it once was. Modern celebrations in Denmark also include fireworks, festive meals, champagne, and the King's New Year's address, traditionally broadcast on December 31.
The plates are specifically associated with the door-breaking custom; this should not be confused with the separate practice of jumping from a chair or sofa at midnight, which symbolizes leaping into the new year. Customs vary between Danish families and regions.