Over here, it is a tradition of many families to buy their own fireworks/firecrackers and light them up on New Year’s Eve. Unlike other countries where there are certain places that are designated for firework’s displays, here everyone makes their own show. You have to see it to understand :D
The intensity of fireworks here in Metro Manila on New Year’s Eve is a pretty good gauge of how the year went. The worse the year was, the more intense the fireworks. While the duration - how many minutes or hours before midnight the fireworks start - reflect the state of the economy.
Based on last night’s fireworks, it’s obvious that 2009 was a bad year for most. You could almost feel the determination and impatience of the people to put 2009 behind by blowing it up with fireworks :D
Usually, about 2 hours before midnight, there were already lots of fireworks and firecrackers, but this time, it was relatively quiet up until 30 minutes to midnight, and then everything erupted. Just goes to show that there really wasn’t that much extra money to buy them so people were reserving using their fireworks and firecrackers until close to midnight... and then they let it all go.
If you think about it, December 31 - January 1 is just another day. Nothing will change overnight. But it gives us hope that it will be better this time around. Just as the sunset signals the end of the day and a promise of another sunrise - another beginning - the start of the New Year somehow gives us the motivation to try to start anew, the drive to improve, and courage to change.
Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!
