The 2022 countdown to Christmas and New Years Eve thread

[CaaC (John)+]

48 minutes ago, Tommy said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/30/fireworks-new-years-germany/

I'll never understand how you can spend hundreds of Euros on fireworks and firecrackers. And then they complain about the inflation. 

People have been queuing  like crazy here just to buy that shit. 

Then you will see nothing like this when it happens tonight, fireworks at and around Edinburgh Castle, we live about a mile from the castle but we can still see and hear the fireworks go off, this is from Hogmanay 2018 

 

 

[Tommy]

4 minutes ago, CaaC (John) said:

Then you will see nothing like this when it happens tonight, fireworks at and around Edinburgh Castle, we live about a mile from the castle but we can still see and hear the fireworks go off, this is from Hogmanay 2018 

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, nudge said:

I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I agree with you, on the other hand, I still love that shit  The sounds, the colours, the smell... Yes, it's absolutely silly to spend hundreds of Euros on a 5 minute lights and explosions show in order to celebrate the fact that our planet again made a full orbit around the Sun, and it can be dangerous in wrong hands, but at the same time, it's also fun to watch the show and I'm glad there are people willing to do it  

Yea, I mean, organised fireworks are something different. Outdated and not good for the environment IMO,  but at least in the hands of the right people who know what they are doing. 

What I'm talking about is everyone doing their own private fireworks + firecrackers. Many firecrackers illegally brought in from Poland which are highly unsafe. Many of those people will be drunk as fuck, so you can imagine the results. It was banned for the last two years, because the hospitals had enough to do with Covid etc. so they tried to avoid idiots blowing off their hands. But it will no doubt happen again tonight. 

On top of that, it frightens the shit out of pets and wild animals. 

[nudge]

13 minutes ago, Tommy said:

 

Yea, I mean, organised fireworks are something different. Outdated and not good for the environment IMO,  but at least in the hands of the right people who know what they are doing. 

What I'm talking about is everyone doing their own private fireworks + firecrackers. Many firecrackers illegally brought in from Poland which are highly unsafe. Many of those people will be drunk as fuck, so you can imagine the results. It was banned for the last two years, because the hospitals had enough to do with Covid etc. so they tried to avoid idiots blowing off their hands. But it will no doubt happen again tonight. 

On top of that, it frightens the shit out of pets and wild animals. 

Yes, I realise all that, and it's sad that irresponsible idiots ruin the fun for everyone else (as always), but still I love it. Organised central fireworks are nice and all, but I like to see actual people being involved in more immersive celebrations... Like, we always used to go out on the street just before midnight, several neighbours would light their fireworks, we'd all watch the show, have a drink and wish each other a happy new year, etc. Every street did the same, it's fun and it used to be a nice way to do some social bonding... completely silly and unnecessary, but fun. Must be my monkey brain  

[Tommy]

3 minutes ago, nudge said:

Must be my monkey brain  

But yea, my family did the same, with other people on the streets.

I'll probably go outside at midnight too, to see what's going on on the street, but I hope that I don't run into anybody I have to talk to. 

[nudge]

1 minute ago, Tommy said:

But yea, my family did the same, with other people on the streets.

I'll probably go outside at midnight too, to see what's going on on the street, but I hope that I don't run into anybody I have to talk to. 

I'll just go to the rooftop with the binoculars instead  

[CaaC (John)+]

I loved November the 5th, Guy Fawkes, when I was a young lad growing up, it was a very closed community where we lived but strict to boot (parent-wise), pre GF we would all go to the local woods and get the branches of the trees and drag them home to build a bonfire for bonfire night, any old clothing made the guy to stick on top.

On the actual night, it was the parents who told us when we could go out into the back garden for fireworks night and it was always our dad who lit the bonfire and let the fireworks off, then we would roast a few chestnuts on the bonfire and have some eats then off to bed.

 

[MUFC]

55 minutes ago, CaaC (John) said:

I loved November the 5th, Guy Fawkes, when I was a young lad growing up, it was a very closed community where we lived but strict to boot (parent-wise), pre GF we would all go to the local woods and get the branches of the trees and drag them home to build a bonfire for bonfire night, any old clothing made the guy to stick on top.

On the actual night, it was the parents who told us when we could go out into the back garden for fireworks night and it was always our dad who lit the bonfire and let the fireworks off, then we would roast a few chestnuts on the bonfire and have some eats then off to bed.

 

The shit we did in our day. There was a croft where bonefire night was each year. People would start building the bonfire weeks before. Bringing wood and cardboard, by November the 5th we'd have a huge bonefire. Putting spuds in the fire with a pinch of salt on. Loads of the locals would turn up. Current generation don't do things like this. 

[CaaC (John)+]

Anyway, back on topic, New Year, we lived in Tilbury near the docks before we emigrated to Australia and what I can remember around midnight was being woke up with all the boats in Tilbury docks and the waters about blowing their horns, magic.

Australia was not the same as New Year out there you had the heat and humidity than the snow and ice, and it took us a while to get used to that.

[Tommy]

 

[Rucksackfranzose]

Guten rutsch Euch allen! Going to the city now to marinate my liver.

[Stan]

Happy new year everyone and all the best for 2023  

[Carnivore Chris]

On 29/12/2022 at 01:53, Toinho said:

You’re 17. I was late to the party. I thought the same. I changed. And now am thinking more what you’re thinking now…but oh boy some of my most favourite memories involve alcohol… and worst but hey. #lifeaintboring

I've always thought the same. I've never consumed alcohol other than the occasional half glass of red wine at tea parties and I've also never consumed any form of narcotic substances before.

 

[MUFC]

Happy new year in advanced everyone.

[CaaC (John)+]

3 hours ago, Rucksackfranzose said:

Guten rutsch Euch allen! Going to the city now to marinate my liver.

Frohes neues Jahr Rucks, und ich hoffe Sie haben ein gutes.

[Azeem]

The best firework display was Beijing 2008 opening ceremony. 

[CaaC (John)+]

Edinburgh Castle...

 

[Tommy]

18 minutes ago, CaaC (John) said:

Edinburgh Castle...

 

Hearing the noises the people make after the fireworks ended, reminded me of @nudge and what she said about the monkey brain. 

 

All I can think of is how much that must have cost, and now many hungry mouths you could have fed with that money. 

[Bluewolf]

Happy New Year all... 

[Rucksackfranzose]

1 hour ago, Tommy said:

Hearing the noises the people make after the fireworks ended, reminded me of @nudge and what she said about the monkey brain. 

 

All I can think of is how much that must have cost, and now many hungry mouths you could have fed with that money. 

To be fair, we all know that money would've been spent for anything but feeding hungry mouths with it wouldn't have been blown into yesterday's night heaven. Knowing mankind I'd even rather say that was a quite harmless way to use that money compared to too many others coming to my mind immediately.

Happy New Year everyone!

[CaaC (John)+]

1 hour ago, Tommy said:

All I can think of is how much that must have cost, and now many hungry mouths you could have fed with that money. 

True, but think about all the deadly missiles that are being fired by Russia into Ukraine and killing helpless civilians, men, women & children, I bet they would have loved to see celebrations like that with a smile on their faces and enjoy the moment and not run for cover.

On a bright note, in all my life watching Guy Fawkes celebrations I have never had a bloody rocket fired that landed beside or near me once it had done its display.