Tonight, families up and down the country will be switching on their TVs to take part in a long-standing German New Year’s Eve tradition. 

“Same procedure as last year?”

Despite being virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, Dinner for One, a 17-minute, black-and-white slapstick comedy sketch filmed in 1963, has achieved cult status in Germany. It is aired on German public TV channels at least a few times every year, in English and without subtitles - making it the highest-rated TV show in German history, and the most-repeated television programme ever. 

In the video below, Rachel Stewart gets into character to explain all about this peculiar German tradition. 

Video: YouTube / DW Euromaxx

Do you have any unusual New Year’s Eve traditions in your country? Tell us all about them in the comments below!