h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Eve of the 24th of June (La festa de Sant Joan) is just about the noisiest night of the year in Barcelona. It's rather like the traditional bonfire night (5th of November) in the U.K. but much more dangerous. It's yet another festival to celebrate the coming of the summer solstice. It's easy to tell when the event is drawing near because little blue stands selling fireworks are set up all over the city. The favourites among children are the firecrackers which are thrown all over the place without any regard for the people who might be passing by. They are also thrown off balconies and out of windows occasionally, hence the danger! On the big night, bonfires are hastily built in the middle of crossroads. It's an excellent way of getting rid of old furniture as that is what they use to make the bonfires. They are then set alight and about ten minutes later the fire fighters arrive to put out the fire and dismantle the mountains of old furniture. Quite often the neighbours rebuild their bonfires two or three times during the evening until they get a stern warning from the firemen with the promise of a fine should they do it again! There are about 10 sites around the city where "official" bonfires are allowed to be built. Parents take their children complete with bag of fireworks to the nearest local park and proceed to let off firecrackers, colourful fountains and huge rockets that go off with an almighty bang. So if you can imagine every park in the city (and there are an awful lot!) turned into an amazing firework display, it is a sight that has to be seen. However, the noise is deafening, which usually gets all the dogs in the city (there are a lot of them , too) howling! Something that has always amazed me is the small number of children who are injured by the fireworks considering that you can see so many of them from eight and nine years upwards going round with fireworks stuffed into their pockets. The bars and terraces are packed with people drinking "Cava" the Catalan sparkling wine which is drunk on any special occasion. If you want to see an organised firework display, the local council has a beautiful one every year in Plaza España, near the Magic Fountain. The noise goes on until about 2am but even later you can hear the swish of rockets on their journey heavenwards and then it's a case of waiting for the BANG when they finally explode. Fortunately Saints John's Day on the 24th is a local holiday here so everyone can catch up on their sleep.

hello stranger,i thoroughly enjoyed reading your posting,i seem to be learning a great deal about spain from you.the display sounds wonderful.but i would be soooo worried about the chjldren,and myself if people were actually throwing fireworks.i acnt understand the mentallity of people that do that,and it happens here in england all the time.there is supposed to be a ban on firework sales here,but we still hear,and see them regularly all during the year.i hope you enjoy your celebration,and your day off work.chatt again soon.salxxx

hi dancing lady and smurfles i am petrified fireworks and get very jumpy when people are throwing them in the street. i hope you enjoy the festival dancing lady and that no-one gets hurt. i also cannot understand why people have to throw fireworks around in the street at each other. i have always believed that the only time fireworks such be let off is at regulated organised displayed not only are they more safer but they look better and are more cheaper if you have to buy themselves, some event's you have to pay an entry but usually there 's a party being held at the same time.

kat

Ooooh fireworks

Got to set them all off myself at the last fireworks desplay, but I don't think I'd be happy about them being in the street . Trying to manage 8 year olds with sparklers is hard enough...

Probably fun however

It's also my Saint's Day!

az

hi unc and az i am even frightened of holding sparklers in my hand.

kat

Hi Kat

Sparklers are great , though plenty of people are afraid of them. I tend to be too busy trying to write my name in the air to worry about it

unc it's the sparks that i do not like, the last time i had one in my hand. i think it's the fear of being burned and that was in 1978 and i remember the sparks burning my hand. i could never light a firework as i am that frightened of them, not even a sparkler.

lat

You can always stick the sparklers in the ground if you don't like holding them in your hand.

I used to have to take out my son with his bag of fireworks when he was younger but thank goodness he's old enough to take himself out now so I can stay home with my fingers in my ears!

I guess being burnt by them could put you off.

The louder fireworks can be annoying I spose, but I still like them. Just as well considering the numbers that get set off around campus.