Which German New Year's Eve custom involves watching the British comedy sketch “Dinner for One”?

The German New Year’s Eve custom involves watching “Dinner for One,” a short British comedy sketch that became a German holiday television tradition. The program is especially associated with New Year’s Eve in Germany and is also broadcast in other German-speaking countries.

The sketch stars Freddie Frinton as the butler James and May Warden as Miss Sophie. Miss Sophie hosts a dinner for four absent friends, while James serves the meal and repeatedly imitates their drinking. His recurring line, “The same procedure as every year,” became closely associated with the annual broadcast.

Although the sketch is British, it became far more famous as a televised New Year tradition in German-speaking Europe than in the United Kingdom. A German-language introduction usually explains the premise, while the performance itself is in English.

The custom is sometimes described as Germany’s version of a countdown ritual, but it is not a midnight ceremony in every household. Broadcast times vary, and many viewers watch it at some point during the holiday rather than exactly at midnight.