Happy Bonfire Night if you celebrate it. If you are not from the UK you might not know what Bonfire Night is. It happens every year on the 5th of November and is also known as Guy Fawkes Night or Fireworks Night. Way back in 1605 a group of men planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. One of them, Guy Fawkes was caught guarding barrels of gunpowder and the rest as they say is history. Now we celebrate with bonfires and fireworks. Lots of people will be wrapping up warm tonight and heading out watch the fireworks, I won't be one of them, I'll be staying home and turning the TV up on to drown out the noise.
I'm not a fan of fireworks and I never have been. Everyone else looks up at the sky oohing and ahhing while I'm just waiting for the banging to stop so I can get on with my evening in peace. I thought today was the perfect time to share why I don't like fireworks.
I am totally blaming my school for my fear of fireworks. At the end of October as far back as I can remember the TV was wheeled out and us kids were shown public safety films. They were all about the dangers of fireworks. The type where sparks fly into people's eyes and fireworks explode in peoples hands. I know the teachers were only trying to keep us kids safe but they did their job a little too well with me! When I was in secondary school there was a huge drama about some boys putting lit fireworks through a teachers letterbox. I can't imagine how scared that teacher must have been and the boys thought it was all fun until they were caught.
For most of my childhood I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere and there were no fireworks. They was just a thing I had heard about from friends who lived in big towns or and what I saw on TV on New Years Eve! The farmers were sensible enough to think about their animals. One of the things that makes me really sad about Bonfire Night is thinking that the animals must be so frightened by fireworks. Pets, animals on farms and wildlife don't know what's happening. They must think the world is ending with all the noise and flashes in the sky, the poor things. I also feel for all the pet owners who will be spending tonight trying to calm their pets.
One year when I was about eight years old my parents took my brother and me to a fireworks display and I hated every minute of it. I was more interested in working out how I could escape the noise and the crowds. It all ended with me screaming and crying so much that my mam took me back to the car. She was fuming and I still wasn't happy. Eek! At least I'd stopped crying. You'd think that after all these years I'd have got used to them but no I'm still the same!
Bonfire Night isn't just one night anymore, it seems to last for weeks. The fireworks started around here on the 10th of October this year. They are what inspired me to start writing this blog post. They sounded so close and it felt like the whole house was shaking. When the first couple went off I thought something awful had happened outside like a car crash but then realised what the noise was.
By the time the actual 5th of November comes around I'm already fed up with the bangs. I spend the evening listening out for the next one and muttering to myself not again. I don't think it would be so bad if everyone saved their fireworks for the actual night? I know people have different celebrations and there are organised displays on different dates but it doesn't need to go on for weeks!
I know the big bangs are the best part for some people but not for me. I know you can buy quieter fireworks, some are almost silent but I don't think many people think of using them. The worst are the ones that feel so deep that make the windows rattle. Every time one goes off I jump out of my skin. The thing I hate the most is not knowing when the next one is coming. I feel like I can't relax because I'm waiting for another massive bang to make me jump.
By now you've probably worked out that I'm not planning on rushing off to a fireworks display tonight. I don't want to stand outside in the cold and I definitely don't want to spend the evening jumping every time a firework goes off. If you are heading out tonight I hope you have a lovely time. Wrap up warm, stay safe and enjoy the display.
Are you a fan of fireworks, or would you rather stay at home like me?
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