Kees van der LeunJan 1, 2025
Last night in the Netherlands: Boy (14) dies, another boy (13) loses hand, dozens need eye surgery, more fine particles emitted than all road vehicles do in a year, €118 million blown up instead of put to use, millions of pets in fear, wildlife disturbed. Private fireworks: great tradition.
Show threadMarcel KasteleijnJan 1, 2025

@Sustainable2050 I think I'm not allowed to say that in the Netherlands, professional fireworks 🎇 had more severe victims then the public fireworks. #Enschede.
Also not to be said, the alternatives like bonfire 🔥 or 'playing around with the police 🚓' is even worse.

So, I'll be 🤐

Show threadreinierlJan 2, 2025
@MaSiKa69 @Sustainable2050 I agree with you though. The problem is not fireworks, the problem is that people seize NYE as a time where transgressive ways of having fun go unpunished. Deaths are caused by fireworks which are already illegal. Making "rotjes" illegal is not saving lives and makes us liberal lefties look like the fun police more than we already do.
Show threadreinierlJan 2, 2025

@MaSiKa69 @Sustainable2050 Also, I think that transgressive rituals like NYE fireworks and bonfires are on a sort of treadmill. If you crack down on one, others will emerge ("waterbedeffect" in 🇳🇱 ). Koningsdag/nacht has become rowdier over the years. Other transgressive dates like Luilak have disappeared from the calendar.

I think this is a kind of stupid you can't fix. But trying will antagonize people.

Show thread🇺🇦 Myke  
@reinierl @MaSiKa69 @Sustainable2050 without the transgressive rituals people on average might become more violent during the rest of the year. There is a reason carnivals persist from ancient times.
Jan 2, 2025 at 6:23pmWeb
Show threadMarcel KasteleijnJan 3, 2025
@mykhaylo @reinierl @Sustainable2050
Interesting thought. Sounds logical to me and does explain why in areas with strict (social) rules, the misbehavior during NYE is a lot more extreme. Like the Biblebelt in NL.
Show thread🇺🇦 Myke  Jan 4, 2025
@MaSiKa69 @reinierl @Sustainable2050 I think it’s a common idea in anthropology, and the tradition of dedicating time to abolishing all norms and behaving much more wildly than is allowed during the “normal” time of the year is extremely ancient.