Denmark has a New Year's Eve tradition of leaving broken plates outside friends' homes.
In the custom, people save unwanted crockery and smash it, traditionally placing the fragments at the doors of friends and relatives around New Year's Eve. A large pile of broken dishes is interpreted as a sign that a household has many loyal friends willing to celebrate with it.
The practice is often described alongside other Danish New Year's traditions, including jumping from a chair at midnight to symbolically leap into the new year. Speeches, fireworks, and the dessert kransekage are also strongly associated with the holiday.
The plate-smashing custom is not practiced by every Danish household, and modern versions may be less common because of safety and cleanup concerns. It is sometimes confused with similar customs in other countries involving breaking pottery, but the friendship-related doorstep tradition is particularly associated with Denmark.