Plate smashing is a traditional Danish New Year's Eve event involving broken crockery at friends' doors.
In the custom, people save unwanted plates and dishes and throw them against the front doors of friends or neighbors around New Year's Eve. A large pile of broken dishes outside a home was traditionally interpreted as a sign that the household had many loyal friends willing to visit and celebrate with it. The practice is associated with goodwill rather than hostility.
The tradition is often presented alongside other Danish New Year's customs, including jumping from a chair at midnight to symbolically leap into the new year. People may also enjoy a festive dinner and the almond-containing dessert risalamande, although that dessert is more broadly associated with Christmas and winter celebrations than exclusively with December 31.
Modern environmental concerns, changing housing arrangements, and safety considerations have made plate smashing less universal than popular descriptions suggest. It remains a well-known cultural image of Danish New Year, but not every Danish household practices it.