A store owner that sells firecrackers in Garapan said they did not sell a lot of firecrackers during Christmas eve, but are hoping sales will pick up today and tomorrow.
The store owner said in the past, customers buy firecrackers days before Christmas and days before New Year’s Eve.
A customer at the same store who asked not to be named said firecrackers are at the bottom of their shopping list.
She said they have a very tight budget for the holidays.
The customer said she still needs to buy food, adding that with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebrations being so close to each other, it was almost next to impossible to stretch her budget.
“We will just go out and watch the fireworks from some of the establishments in Garapan on New Year’s Eve. That will be free,” she said.
Another customer said he and his family will not buy firecrackers or fireworks because “that is just like burning money.”
“We just don’t have the money to spare for firecrackers, that’s the truth,” he added.
Prices range from a dollar to over $100 for a really spectacular fireworks display.
You can buy a box of binary stars for $10, a box of small rockets at $12 and a box of flaming balls at $25.
Also available are aerial repeaters or “cakes” which cost about $8 for a seven-shot repeater. Aerial shells that can be refilled cost $8-$15 while display tubes are $10-$15.
Fountains, ground spinners, poppers, snaps, rockets and missiles can also be bought on island.
