Bonfire Night

[renegadefm]

Not sure if its just me, but does society celebrate Bonfire night like we used to?

 

I remember as a kid growing up in the 70's bonfire night was a huge deal, people would be having bonfires and letting off fireworks all evening. 

In fact my neighbour at the time would have a big party outside. 

I don't really see any of that going on these days. 

Is the tradition dying off?

 

In my observation Halloween seems to get bigger each year, and Bonfire night is dying off. 

 

What would the reason be, assuming my observation is correct. 

[albaqwerty]

Elfin Safety probably helped to reduce bonfire nights.

Cost of fireworks can also be a bit prohibitive.

[Ken4155]

^

"Cost of fireworks can also be a bit prohibitive."

You wouldn't think that if you lived near me, Alba. The local morons have been letting them off for the last 3 weeks. Startled by one at 7.30 a.m. on Saturdey mornong. 7 bleeding 30!

[barry1010]

My neighbour is having a bonfire and fireworks in his garden this evening; the pub up the road is putting on a bonfire and fireworks with food; there was a huge display at my local park with fair, street food, night market.  I think more people go to the organised displays than the traditional back garden do, though.

On my local nextdoor site there has been nothing but complaints about fireworks scaring their dogs, waking their children, stinking the place up with bonfires...  did people really moan about them in the past?

[Ken4155]

And another at 7.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, too 😉

[albaqwerty]

Ken, I've become old, unsure when that happened, but it did and I'd like the sale of fireworks restricted if not banned to the public.

Setting them off every 5 minutes get my goat 😁

[vulcan42]

I wouldn't mind fireworks at 7:30 am, at halloween we were still hearing fireworks at 2 o'clock in the morning.

[Lie-in King]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8ek66d5n3ko

Too many people for my liking.  I had to go into town this morning & there were already a lot of folk in their variously-coloured striped jumpers wandering about, along with quite a few in costume.

Also, there were many men with wood.

Boarding over shop windows, they were.

[netherfield]

Ban the darned things for me. Unless they could make them silent, dogs are scared to death.

We've had two barns burned down with 'stray' fireworks. Had cattle escape and stampede over someone's prize garden.

Had a schoolfriend badly burned, and another lost her life, just for a few pretty coloured fireworks.

And it's not just one night is it, started Friday here, hopefully tonight is the end of them, but there's another weekend fast approaching.

 

[renegadefm]

barry1010, 

People didn't moan about fireworks or the smell of the bonfire when I was a child, mainly because more people participated in it. 

I think these days fireworks get into the wrong hands, which spoils it for others. 

I think they should raise the legal age to buy fireworks to at least 30.  That way Dads and Mums could still have a back garden event for their children.  With the likelihood of parents should be more responsible. 

 

What I don't understand is they now make and sell quiet fireworks. But the whole idea to me is hearing them aswell as seeing them, it goes hand in hand. 

Can you believe in my day, they burnt lorry and car tyres on the bonfire to keep it burning longer.  You'd be shot for doing that now. 

[Barsel]

renegadefm, so much has changed since I was a girl.

Fireworks are now more expensive, louder, and more spectacular.

Depending on where you live, fireworks are going off well before Nov 5th and well after that date.

I personally believe they should be mad silent as then they wouldn't be so much of a problem, or just have the noisy ones at where the displays are held and not in peoples back gardens or on the streets.

It is strange I think that we still commemorate something that happened in 1605!

 

 

[barry1010]

Fireworks have always got in to the wrong hands.  I remember kids letting jumping jacks (remember them) on a crowded bus, throwing bangers in to galvanised bins.  Over the years there has been reports of kids throwing them at passing cars, posting lit fireworks through letterboxes - all sorts of utter stupidity.

People did moan about bonfires and fireworks in the 70s, you probably didn't notice it if you were a kid then, renegade.  Go and play up your own end!  :D

[Barsel]

I've always been scared of bonfires since being a child and as it is also my birthday, people would shout, let us throw her on the bonfire, and I thought they meant it.

This scared me so much, that I still won't leave the house on Nov 5th.

[fiveleaves]

Fireworks are expensive. Who wants to waste a load of money for something that lasts about 10 mins? 

Personally I wouldn't feel confident about lighting fireworks.

Much safer and more value for money to go to an organised display. They tend to be spread out any day from 31/10 to 5/11.

Bonfire night does have awkward anti Catholic overtures. I read that Guy Fawkes old school refuse to have a display

[Ken4155]

Lie In King at 16:54 - "Also there were many men with wood."

As the actress said to the bishop 😉

[renegadefm]

I personally think fireworks only get into the wrong hands because they allow them to be sold to 18 year olds and above who are not responsible enough.

My belief is if they raised the legal age to 30, at least parents of a similar age to 30 and above could still hold respectible events in their garden. 

I think a 30 year old is less likely to roam around the streets randomly setting off fireworks, compared to an 18 year old.  Thats my take on it. 

[douglas9401]

Easy enough to solve the problem. A blanket ban, personal or organised, job done.

Where do I send my invoice?

[Old_Geezer]

I think large displays on or around the correct evening, and for other events too, has put observance in decline. It was more personal and exciting when each family did their own bonfire, Guy Fawkes, and fireworks. Those were proper memories.

[ladybirder]

I was horrified one Bonfire Night when I was in the North Yorkshire Dales and saw terrified cows charging around a field with their eyes bulging out of their heads when the fireworks started.

I'm an animal lover, not a firework lover.

[Old_Geezer]

My understanding,  vulcan, is that bonfire night  fireworks after midnight are illegal. But if they are for Diwali, or Chinese New Year, etc. then you are allowed up to 1 am.

 

Meanwhile, any ban on private shows is an attack on our culture, and must be resisted as our culture is under attack enough already these days.

[Togo]

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