Wednesday 1 August 2007

Fireworks

Well, it's Switzerland Day (which is not what they call it here, but it's what I have decided to call it), which apparently means it's fireworks time. For the last week or so shops have set up stalls in the streets to sell fireworks, and apparently the rule is that you are only allowed to let them off today. This rule has been ignored a bit for the last few days, although weirdly enough some people seem to have been letting their fireworks off during daylight hours (ie. when you can't really see them). It seems that last night was an official fireworks time too, though, because as I lolled around reading my book and trying to ignore the TV show that Reto is so obsessed with watching (which, by the way, it's impossible to do when you live in one room) I heard all this racket outside, and for the next hour or so we watched fireworks being let off in 4 or 5 different places that we can see from our window. Which was lovely, and marred only by the fact that there was an almost a full moon shining quite a lot of light on the whole thing. What a hardship.

4 comments:

Nick Jensen said...

In Denmark, you're allowed to sell fireworks from december 15. and up untill new years. You're not allowed to use fireworks other than in that timespan either. January 2. it is done. Unless you have a special permit (like if you run an amusement park and wan't to celebrate something).

However - in the old place where we lived (a.k.a. the ghetto), it was a warzone from medio october to medio march. The amount of illegally imported, sold, purchased and used fireworks we're mindboggling.
On more than one occasion have we had to duck and cover, or run awayyyyy from the artillery.
But the worst part is definately when it starts to fade out. And all you hear is the random *KABOOM* every 45 minutes during the night. Not exactly good for the beauty sleep.

So my relationship with fireworks have become somewhat exhausted. I like pretty, profesionally structured and handled fireworks. I dislike stuff that explodes, in the feeble hands of drunk people, as well as in the hands of irresponsible little brats.

Global Librarian said...

Of course they are setting them off during daylight hours! Tomorrow is a work day. Bedtime is 10 pm. You cannot wait for the sun to set and still get enough sleep!

Kim/moolric said...

I wish we still had Cracker Night.

rswb said...

The night before Switzerland Day would have been a good time, though. No one had to work the next day, but the crackers were still going off during the daylight hours.