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I don't like fireworks. In the Netherlands on New Year's Eve people are allowed to set off fireworks, there are laws about which types of fireworks people are allowed to set. The sale of fireworks is also limited. Unless it's really light fireworks (which can be sold in supermarkets even) the sale is limited to the three days before New Year's Eve and on Sunday the sale of fireworks is not allowed.
Of course there is light and illegal fireworks that is being set of from about mid November. In the past that was mostly firecrackers. But it seems that this year every night heavy, illegal fireworks is set off. Several times a night you get startled by loud bangs, they wake you up (so I'm now wearing my earplugs every night).
Luckily the cats aren't too bothered by it, last year Luna was thoroughly annoyed with the fireworks only a couple of minutes after midnight. She laid down on a chair with her back to the window. Maru was a bit scared of the bangs at first, but her fascination of the colourful burst won in the end and she enjoyed the display sitting on the windowsill for half an hour or so. (But scrape a chair over the floor and you won't see both of them for a while, weirdos).
For the last couple of years the discussion about people being allowed to set of fireworks or not has intensified. Cities can allocate firework-free zones (usually around care homes for the elderly and places with animals). The police has called on politics to ban fireworks, because of the dangers. The environmentally minded people don't like it because of upset animals and the pollution.
I agree with all of them. Just ban it and only allow professionals to set of fireworks.
On New Year's Eve we're having a family friend over. Shortly after midnight, before the next door neighbour and his partner arrive (I don't like her) I'll head upstairs. Make a cup of tea and a snack and put on my noise cancelling headphones and relax; read, watch Netflix, maybe do something creative. Hopefully by 2am the noise has died down enough for my earplugs to do filter out most of the noise and I can go to sleep. For an introvert that's sensitive to loud, sudden sounds New Year's Eve isn't much fun.
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