New Years Eve. And in the Netherlands it is fireworks bonanza. An amazing array of fireworks hit the sky at around 12.05 am. The five minute delay is the amount of time it takes people to wish each other a happy new year before they light the first firework.
And then the madness begins, coloured fireworks shower the sky in all directions, accompanied by noise, and plenty of it. Almost as if WW111 has begun, in earnest.
Most people go out into the street, even the people without fireworks to let off, in order to wish their neighbours a happy new year.
Once people added to the noise and fireworks by burning the Christmas trees on street corners, but that practice is no longer allowed, for reasons that are fairly obvious, namely air quality and fire risk as well as general health and safety. Now, the trees are taken to nominated areas at the beginning of January, and the councils supervise the burning of the trees, in huge bonfires. Still very exciting.
The fireworks go on for about an hour, before they start to decrease in number. I have been told that about €74,000,000 was spent on fireworks this year in the Netherlands. In a time of economic difficulties, that was a pretty impressive amount of money.
In the morning, the people who have set off fireworks, go outside and clean up the mess of burnt paper, shells, boxes and bottles. Everything is usually spick and span again by dusk. This is the Netherlands afterall. Everything must be clean and tidy.
Raphy enjoyed seeing a few little sparklers being lit, a few party poppers being popped, and six little roman candles glowing in the dark, at 8 pm. All very cheap, €10 worth, from Lidl. Then he went to bed and slept through the noise. The next morning he asked us when the really big fireworks were going to start. He could not believe he had missed the show. Perhaps next year, Raphy.
No comments:
Post a Comment