Shorter window for fireworks

This year’s New Year’s celebrations will be no different to previous years in terms of fireworks.

But big changes are coming up for next year’s celebrations.

A new directive from the Ministry of Environment will restrict the use fireworks to 31 December and 1 January only.

Under the current regulations, fireworks are allowed throughout the year as long as it does not cause a nuisance.

“We need more regulation regarding fireworks,” says environment minister Ingilín D. Strøm.

“Our current fireworks practices do not comply with the very limited, and rather outdated, fireworks regulations we currently have.”

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While this may be bad news for some, animal owners appear to be happy with the change. We spoke to a couple of them.

“Two days is more than enough. Ideally, fireworks would only be allowed on New Year’s Eve,” says dog owner Rakul Erlendsdóttir.

“It’s not right that I almost have to anaesthetise my dog this time of the year. Restricting fireworks use is also good for the environment.”

Julian Joensen says that it is not only animals that feel uneasy about all the fireworks:

“Many elderly people also find it unpleasant. So this is a good move by the government,” he says.

Distress signals flare out

Another key change is that distress signal rockets, a popular component of the fireworks celebrations around New Year’s, will no longer be allowed.

Neyðrakett

The use of these distress signals on New Year’s has long been a contentious issue.

Some see the fiery red signals as an iconic fixture in the New Year’s night sky. Others worry that if a ship sends out a distress signal around this time, it is hard to differentiate their distress signal from the celebratory ones, potentially delaying critical assistance.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.