Fireworks

sorry - was me got us off topic!

nina. In a previous post someone referred us to this. Last summer, my neighbour had a party for her newly-wed brother and SiL. We had fireworks but it was well before 11pm so were able to ignore the grumpy man along the road who came out and shouted at us!

If this thread has evolved into the origin of fireworks (sorry I confess I haven't read all 4 pages)
forgive me for going back to the begining but I just wanted to rant that we have had them going off round here since the end of October and theyr'e STILL doing it.
I heard one less than 5 minutes ago.

Why ??? I thought there was a bylaw restricting times dates ect.

A lot of info and theorising here - looks as if all the Christian connections have been removed in the song!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#Pre-Christian_background

You got in first jeni.

Wikipedia says
"Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity Saturn originally
held December 17 and later expanded with festivities through December 23."

So not Jan 5th then.
I got curious through thinking about the song "12 days of Xmas" and what it's about. I think it is just preparations for a party, doesn't seem to be religious at all!
Pepys celebrated it...think this was a revival after Cromwell.
One time his wife was partying all night with the maids, but he went to bed. Another time he was trying to get home to get his piece of cake!

Just looked. That was from 17dec til the23rd

Could be the saturnalia? Or was that Xmas?

gracesmum Samhain (harvest end) celebrated on 31 October/1 November, so also coinciding with Halloween.

And - definitely off topic now - was there a pagan festival around the 5th Jan which could have turned into the Twelfth Day of Xmas?

Well, well, I didn't know that. Because it more or less coincides with the State Opening of Parliament, I had innocently assumed that happened at the same time each year, even in the time of James 1. Apparently it was known as Gunpowder Treason Day in the early years of its celebration.
So which pagan festival was subsumed into it?

When I had cats, the ginger one retreated either under a big chest of drawers or behind the freezer when the fireworks season began; the other didn't turn a hair. However, low-flying jets from a nearby RAF base had exactly the same effect on Sandy and there wasn't much we could do about them.

I don't think it's a coincidence that fire festivals occur at the same time in autumn in different cultures within the Northern Hemisphere. Remember remember the 5th of November is also a hijacking of an already existing pagan festival.

In our multicultural society I think we have to accept that fireworks are no longer restricted to Guy Fawkes night. It seems a coincidence, but clearly adds to the spread of the firework season, that Eid and Diwali occur round about the same time - late October and 13 Nov this year. Just New Year and Chinese New Year to go then!

hi graciesmum im mick

my cats have gone ape hite over the fireworks surely nov5th shud be the end but no last week still leetiing them off itr aiaint rirght

I have no secret lawbreaking tendencies jo5. HunterF's post ws timed at 22.47 so presumably before the cut off point. I just think one has to be pragmatic. There are instances of lawbreaking all around us - speeding, littering, to name but two, and my point is there is not a lot to be gained by apoplexy or agitating for extortionate punitive penalties. I tried to suggest some strategies to deal with the annoyance which from my own experience of 13 years in London I found more effective than railing at the rest of the world. Other people have to cope with traffic noise, police or ambulance sirens, nearby pubs or clubs at chucking out time and cope is the operative word.
I don't like fireworks either as they genuinely distress my dog, but I do what I can to minimise the noise and distress for her.
I also think there are infinitely more deserving targets for effective policing, such as knife crime, robbery, mugging, road traffic incidents, drugs, or domestic violenceand much as I would like our bobby on the beat to preserve our" peace and quiet at night "- life just ain't like that any more.

ian I am not a Tory supporter but are you blaming the government for firework misuse or closure of police stations? If the latter I agree that 'cuts' seem to be counter-productive in saving costs!

Unfortunately our local police station closes at 5pm around here and by the time they come from 50 miles away the criminals are gone. So if fireworks rage all night there is not a possibility of any police coming at all. Who can we blame? This stinking rotten to the core government.

If the fireworks end before 11p.m. no law has been broken. But annoying if going on later. I will re-post the link for reference!

https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law

gracesmum what have you got against someone expecting the law to be obeyed? Sounds like Hunter just wants a bit of peace and quiet at night, like the rest of us.

Diwali is a Hindu festival.

Hi Gracemum

I live in Sutton Coldfield.
There are some Muslims who live about 100 yards from me and they are getting as fed up of these late night fireworks as I am.
I have no objection to them having their fireworks for Diwali but they have said as it happens they are going to Moseley to see their relatives today.
I am going to give it one more night and then I will have no alternative but to get the police in.

Where do you live HunterF? Helmand province, or does it just feel like it? It's Diwali today you know (also grandson's first birthday, but unless you're in Moseley, I don't think DD and SIL can be held responsible)

Is there anyone you could complain to Hunter? Police or local MP? Might be worth a try. They should not go on after 11 pm. What is the point of bringing in a law and then forgetting about it.