In a country that is fiercely protective of the environment and generally full of some of the oddest and most arbitrary restrictions (don’t get me started on Sonntagsruhe), there’s a big exception for fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Across Germany, you can expect to hear fireworks and firecrackers going off for most of the day every December 31, with the real show starting when the clock strikes midnight and rings in the new year.
The history is interesting…I was told the custom goes back to pagan Germanic beliefs that loud noises and bright light would scare away evil spirits at the turn of the year. Fireworks, bells, and banging pots were all meant to protect people as they crossed into the unknown new year.
More importantly, after WWII, fireworks became a rare socially acceptable outlet for loud celebration in a society otherwise shaped by order and restraint. Silvester became the one night where excess noise and disorder were not just tolerated but expected.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
