Denmark is famous for the New Year's Eve custom of jumping from a chair at midnight.
The jump is often interpreted as symbolically leaping into the new year. At midnight, some Danes stand on chairs, sofas, or other elevated furniture and jump down as the clock strikes twelve. The custom is a playful household tradition rather than an official ceremony.
Danish New Year's Eve also has other distinctive associations, including the New Year's speech by the monarch and the eating or breaking of dishes in older traditions. Fireworks and festive meals are common parts of the evening as well.
The chair-jumping custom is sometimes confused with New Year's traditions in neighboring Nordic countries. Customs vary between families and regions, so not every Danish household observes every practice, but Denmark is the country most strongly associated with the midnight jump.