or: Big budget isn’t necessary for a big celebration

I’ve been fortunate to be in a few locations over the years that have a reputation for having some of the best fireworks for New Year’s Eve – Sydney and Hong Kong topping that list.

This year, I was in Mauritius and I have to say, their fireworks rivaled the displays of many major cities and they do it all without spending a billion trillion dollars, setting it to a soundtrack and coordinating anything. It is a sight to behold.

Fireworks began as soon as it is dark with locals lighting their own and setting them off while having a barbecue dinner or picnic. Through the evening, the sky erupted in a kaleidoscope of colour and various styles of explosions from the quiz fizzing ones to the longer lasting, ahhhh ooooo ahhhh and whistling ones.

As it was a bit of a rainy evening, the hotels along the beach near where I am staying let their midnight fireworks go early (this is a bit of a twist on the traditional take of “island time” and it’s the first time I can remember ever having something happen early here) in an effort to avoid the rain and still have a display.

At midnight, residents were out of their houses lighting fireworks they lay on the street so where I’m staying, sounded like a war zone while the sky lit up and people wished each other a “Bonne Annee”.

Then, we rushed down to the beach to watch what was left of the hotel fireworks before coming back, grabbing a bottle of an alcoholic beverage and beginning a walk down the street to pour a drink with each of the Neighbours and to cheers the new year and wish each other a good one.

It  took a while to reach the end of the street and we watched various other firework displays as we progressed. They don’t stop at midnight. They don’t even stop on the 1st January as they are still going on now!

All of this had me thinking about my childhood when it was still possible for residents to light their own fireworks before a law was passed making it illegal in most places in Australia. I remember my uncle lighting them in his backyard with family and friends visiting. It was a simpler and more friendly time, not just because I’m remembering it through the idealism of youth. It just really was.

Walking down the street at midnight here, I was greeting people that I have met over the past couple of years and was surprised at how many that actually was. We had drinks together and spoke about when I’d be coming back.

I know more people in my neighbourthood here than I do in my neighborhood in HK which is kind of weird given that it is very high density living in comparison.

I hope Mauritius retains this neighborhood connection.

And they keep being allowed to light their own fireworks.

* Thanks to Katy Perry for the title to this post.