Here we are in the Netherlands alone, together for New Years Eve 2008. Our first ever here, but our second in Europe as we spent New Years Eve in Switzerland in 2005 with our son.
We haven’t even partaken of schnapps or herrings – all the normal things that we would be doing in New Zealand on New Years Eve. Sounds odd if you are a New Zealander reading this – my family is Danish and our celebrations tend to be of the Danish persuasion whereever possible.
It has been a funny sort of day really and bitterly bitterly cold.
Fireworks are in full force everywhere, nothing namby pamby about this – every young person is out there letting off substantial crackers, rockets and the noise and the smell is incredible and constant.
We couldn’t walk the streets today (or most of the last week) for fear of being attacked by huge fireworks and today they have been continuous and this evening since darkness fell – at about 4pm there has simply been no let up. These youngsters are so hell bent on having a noisy time they do not discriminate – that is you are a bit aged, they will still let them off right by you, baby in pram – fair game, and these are humungous humungous fireworks. They leave holes in the ashphalt. You could wonder if there will be any left for the midnight hour. But somehow I believe they are rationing the fireworks so that at midnight it will still be extreme.
I just cannot imagine the cacophony that might occur at midnight.
Will keep you all posted.
Tags: celebrations, Danish, Dutch, fireworks, Haarlem, New Years Eve, New Zealand, New Zealander, Pickled Herring, Schnapps, weather
