Nothing beats those few minutes of magic and excitement in hearing those loud whistling sounds as fireworks shoot up into the air and explodes, booms and fizzes amid bright lights, displaying spectacular shapes and colors.
For the past two New Year’s evenings I’ve watched the splendid fireworks displays from the parking lot of Hard Rock Café in Garapan, but I learned that one of the best places to watch the skies lit up in wondrous colors is on Navy Hill.
Fireworks are popularly associated with the Fourth of July, but their original use was during New Year’s celebrations.
Fireworks originated in China over 2,000 years ago. One legend has it that a Chinese cook accidentally spilled saltpeter, an ingredient used in gunpowder, into a cooking fire which produced an interesting flame.
Exploding firecrackers were believed to be produced during the Song dynasty by a Chinese monk who placed gunpowder inside bamboo shoots and exploded them on New Year’s Eve to scare away evil spirits. By the 15th century, fireworks were already a traditional part of New year celebrations.
Across the world, many countries spend millions of dollars on lavish firework displays.
In the CNMI, thin wallets and meager household budgets are not a hindrance to welcome the New Year with fireworks and firecrackers.
These come in different sizes and shapes and price range, making them affordable for everybody.
Mo matter what kind of fireworks/firecrackers you can afford to buy, it is the spirit of the celebration that counts.
New Year’s Eve just is not complete without fireworks. If you don’t want to light fireworks, you can go out before the clock strikes midnight tonight and bask in the glorious experience of watching multi-color fountains of light, flashing stars, cracking strobes and willow-bursts lighting up the sky.
Warning: To state the obvious, fireworks and firecrackers can be very dangerous if not handled correctly. Children should have adult supervision when lighting fireworks because you would not want to spend the first day of the New Year swathed in bandages, minus a finger or two and writhing in pain at the hospital.
Have a blazingly spectacular fireworks-filled New Year!