A few winters ago, I took a trip to Iceland, specifically Reykjavik. I learned that, for new year's, there is an organized party well outside the city limits with no fireworks. This was for folks that didn't want to participate in the usual celebrations that take place in town. They noted that it was quite popular with the Syrian refugees on the island. I think about that a lot.

I'll add that NYE Fireworks in Iceland make American Independence Day celebrations look like a solemn funeral in comparison. I've never been anywhere that has been shelled, but I now have a really good idea what that would look and sound like.

Heh, I live in a racially mixed neighborhood where the Mexicans help the rest of the us find the "good stuff". I have been in an actual war zone but my neighborhood is at WW1 level amounts of black powder and badly made improvised explosives with copper, magnesium, and titanium sprinkled in for seasoning. Last year there were teenagers with eight inch mortars which I cannot convey how insanely illegal those are.

Kind of amazing we haven't set the neighborhood or even a single house on fire now that I think about it.

Every year for a dozen years our dog would get so traumatized by fireworks that you could literally hear her teeth chattering. We'd turn up loud music in the house, and make her a bed in a closet, but she'd still bolt out and look for anywhere where it was less noisy or safer (there wasn't such a place, but we couldn't convince her of that). She'd jump into the bathtub or claw her way into a different closet, only to bolt away to find a better spot at the next explosion. And neighbors would light off the occasional firework until like 2 or 3 in the morning. We couldn't go off and leave her. I grew to really hate the 4th.

She died a couple months ago, so I guess that's no longer a problem for us personally, but I know we aren't the only ones with sensitive pets.

I'd happily see consumer fireworks banned. If people like them so much then there are plenty of organized displays which have way better shit than you can buy at Walmart, and I know roughly when they're happening so I can turn the TV up loud, close my windows and keep my pets from being too traumatized.

What I can't stand is the random 3AM explosions that sounds like the start of WWIII. If you're one of those people, fuck you. Sincerely.

Usually agreed, but July 5th I'll be shopping for some discounted boomies.

They will be on stand by to celebrate a long overdue deposition when the day finally fucking comes.

We used to hide in the basement with our pup and watch a movie. She could still hear the fireworks, but it seemed to take the edge off.

Current pup has gone deaf in his old age. Before then, he'd growl and bark at both thunder and fireworks. Now he just sleeps through it.

Launching fireworks had been banned in Kyiv for the last few years, for hopefully obvious reasons.

At least one good thing has come from it.

My first dog was so chill that he didn't give a single fuck about fireworks or thunder. He'd sleep right through it. Even before he went deaf. I swear he was just a dude who got turned into a dog or something because nothing about the human world seemed to bother him.

Counterpoint

Playing with fire and blowing things up is fun if done responsibly. Really, given the kinds of annoyances that are legal year-round (drunkards, loud exhausts, barking dogs, late-night parties, yelling loudly etc.), it really isn't that bad to have fire & explosions once per year for like... two hours. (Reiterating, responsibly)

I love fireworks shows done responsibly, our local show is on a beach away from most of civilization and wild life.

That said I think a drone show is cooler, better for the environment, and would love to see densely populated towns replace them with drones.

I'm more down for burning in effigy

Had an apartment in a shady neighborhood for the first time in my life once. Did not appreciate the random "pop" noises that never really sounded like fireworks. Will never live that down.

I don't wish maiming on people who light fireworks. They can learn. I sure did. Used to be a huge fan to the point my dad and I would volunteer to help setup a few pro shows around us (one of only three happy memories with him so you can imagine how important they were to me). I now understand though and don't light them myself. I've found many people around me legitimately have just never heard the arguments against them and when I lay it out they at least only light them at reasonable times and clean up more though some no longer light them at all.

Now my asshole neighbour who three years in a row I've had to sic the city code enforcement on for just tossing his mortar tubes and boxes and stuff into my yard...

Ok, this bums me out. I love fireworks and the 4th of July. I have such fond memories of it as a kid and am building memories with my own kiddos. Our whole neighborhood gets together and sets them off, and grills and hangs out. It is a whole (wholesome) thing.

I've had a car roof dented from a chunk of concrete from a firework. Not a fan.

I swear, I thought they were talking about internal combustion engines until the last line.

Nothing to celebrate anymore.

It's like if a dog was a human.

I was so annoyed when NJ finally went and allowed fireworks in public hands. Now instead of having nice controlled by the township level shows with professionals, I get dipshit down the street setting them off and causing every dog to go batshit. And because anyone can buy fireworks, no one donates to the township show so we don't even get to see the nice show anymore.

I truly hate fireworks so I agree passionately

Celebrate the fourth by blowing up a piece of it with fireworks

What if it was in the rainy season instead

There is a family several miles away that loves to blow up shit at random times periodically. The police know who they are. Most of the town knows who they are. The police do nothing, and it just goes on.

I don't enjoy fireworks. Maybe if it was like the year 1600 and I'd never seen color and light it'd be really cool. But we have high definition Tv now.

I appreciate in the latest season of The Pitt they show a few fireworks injuries. They can really fuck you up if you don't know what you're doing.

Leave explosives to the trained professionals. I don't wish harm on anyone but fireworks are just explosives and if you aren't trained you're just asking for trouble.

As I was reading this I thought it was going to be about Gaza.

If you take into account how much it freaks out animals to the point of heart attacks it might as wel be to them.

14th of July is the day in France for fireworks, there's the fireworks set by the city for 30min and after that everyone goes back home, dont have people setting them off all night 🤷

People love loud sounds and lights, be it explosions, light shows, loud music, automobiles, and a myriad of other things, what can I say? It's a form of group stimulation that for whatever reason cultures find acceptable.

I don't launch fireworks, and I agree people should be much more considerate about it, and keep loud sounds to specific pre-arranged times like 11pm to 1am for midnight events like New Year, 9pm-12am for other events. It's not so bad if you can expect it, but it's the random intermittency through the whole night is what I think is the most harmful thing about it. ANC headphones is the opt-out.

isn't most of the world moving away from fireworks? too polluting.