Denmark is the island nation known for the New Year's Eve tradition of smashing old plates outside friends' homes.
A Danish custom involves throwing or breaking unwanted dishes at the doors of friends and neighbors on New Year's Eve. A large pile of broken plates was traditionally interpreted as a sign that a household had many friends, because it represented the number of people who had visited or left dishes behind.
The practice is a folk custom rather than a universal requirement, and modern households may observe it less often because of safety and environmental concerns. Denmark's New Year celebration also includes a televised royal address, dinner, fireworks, and the midnight dessert known as kransekage. The plate tradition should not be confused with the Spanish twelve-grape custom or with the Danish custom of jumping from a chair at midnight.