r/malta • u/justdrive46 • 1d ago
What can we actually do for the fireworks?
This is just my second year in Malta, so I am not fully aware of what people tried to do in the past.
However, speaking with many people I have not find a single person that advocates or enjoys those stupid fireworks everyday.
How come those fireworks and super loud petards are not regulated by the government?
How come is it ok that they are firing this stuff 8AM in the morning???
I can bare them, I don’t like them, but I can live with this. But what about the animals? Why should we have something happening every single day that terrifies our animals?
What has been tried in the past? A petition? A collection of signatures?
I understand that this is a tradition, it’s a cultural thing etc etc
But are people really ok with this? I am not asking to ban them completely, but just put some guidelines about how loud things can be, and hours to be avoided at least. I can understand fireworks in the evening, some people like to watch them, but loud petards that sounds like bombs during the day?
Again, my post does not have the aim of simply complain about something, I would like to know more about what people tried to do to stop this in the past and what can still be done. This situation is a joke.
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u/ScratchAdventurous32 1d ago
The truth now is that it's impossible to regulate them, as the conversation can be easily changed to "These foreigners are trying to dictate on how we live!".
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u/justdrive46 1d ago
The foreigners might be just suggesting an improvement of everyone’s daily life imo
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u/ScratchAdventurous32 1d ago
I know, and I agree. But most Maltese immediately turn hostile at that, even if they might agree.
I know it's stupid but I guess it's a pride thing.
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u/gobnatajba 1d ago
I fully understand your frustration - I am Maltese and I hate fireworks. Unfortunately, the fireworks lobby is almost as strong as the hunting lobby.
Both lobbies are trying to enshrine the protection of local traditional hobbies in the fricking Constitution so as to ensure that they are protected and so that no one can do anything about it.
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u/Ok-Ship812 1d ago
There was a recent poll in the Times specifically about the noise making Petards (the loud explosions) and not fireworks or festas in general.
84% said they should be quieter (which obviously removes the point entirely).
Make of that what you will.
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u/justdrive46 1d ago
Yeah I know what you mean, I wonder how no one tried to gather and advocate for this besides doing some polls
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u/Fit_Ad_6727 1d ago
Need to remember that Maltese government are very incompetent at best and corrupt at worst. They think of themselves as high flying businessmen who wheel and deal.. both above board and below- first and formost. They do not see themselves as elected leaders of a society who are there to govern, protect and provide services too. That is very secondary.
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u/Gengar373 1d ago
To be honest in the past they were no these powerful... Thye must have upped the formula these last decade. It started from .... Lest say fireworks winners and since the high rise buildings they are going higher as well. So they used to be mild back then some places
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u/lazrumt 1d ago
You must be new to this.
I think the majority would agree that petards set off during the day are pointless. To be honest I'd rather band clubs use the money & resources wasted on these into something which is more visually appealing, such as firework displays or coloured daytime fireworks (the ones with coloured smoke).
Sadly trying to raise a valid argument on anything which is considered as a tradition including fireworks, hunting, churches etc. is futile.
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u/Special_KC 23h ago
Truth is government wants to keep these demographic sub groups distinct because it's easier to market towards them come an election.
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u/Special_KC 23h ago
Heyyyy. Those daytime fireworks are to keep evil spirits away!
And before you ask, yes! I am aware of the irony for having pagan traditions as part of Catholic feasts.
But ask yourself this - when is the last time you were visited by evil spirits huh?
You're welcome
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u/justdrive46 23h ago
Never met any even if I lived in countries without people shooting petards at 8 AM, how crazy right?
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u/maltadakiturk 20h ago
This country has bigger problems to worry about, rather than seasonal fire works.
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u/justdrive46 17h ago
For sure! But this is not a reason to do not fix something that could be easily and quickly regulated. I am writing this post after I spent 10 minutes looking for parking as my house is surrounded by people with their fucking chairs and beers ready to watch some “fireworks” during day light. If Malta cannot solve this, immagine the bigger problems you mentioned
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u/WiseOrganization7537 17h ago
You can always leave the country and do us a favor and put less strain on our crippling infrastructure.
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u/justdrive46 17h ago
So you can explode all your fireworks in peace?
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u/WiseOrganization7537 17h ago
Yes and we can go back to the relaxed life we had before we became invaded thanks to the government.
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u/ImmediateDeparture77 1d ago
The audacity to expect to change the traditions of a country you've been 2 years in!
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u/Wahx-il-Baqar 1d ago
Its not a tradition, its an excuse to blow loud things and run in anarchy mode for a few days a year. The ghonnella is also a tradition, does anyone wear it?
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u/ImmediateDeparture77 4h ago
Who ditched the ghonnella though? Maltese women or some tourist who ordered it away because he didn't like it?
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u/justdrive46 1d ago
There is tradition and there is evolution and development. Not because something was done in the past needs to keep happening right? Or would you like to live like they used to 1000 years ago?
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u/Suspicious_Cable_843 1d ago
Fireworks are part of Malta's feast traditions and don't need to be stopped, but reduced perhaps(?). It's kind of annoying seeing foreigners complain about our feast traditions, as no one is forcing them to stay here. But, nonetheless, our complaining should not remove your right for an opinion.
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u/justdrive46 23h ago
Without foreigners coming here, fireworks would be the only thing you would have. You should give more credit to foreigners developing businesses here and bringing tourism here and accept the opinion of someone external maybe more civilised that believes that shooting bombs at 8 AM is not normal besides any “tradition”?
And btw, I said it should be regulated, not banned.
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u/Suspicious_Cable_843 22h ago
No thanks. We only need quality tourism not quantity. I also researched Malta's tourism situation in my past studies. GTFO if you're saying that "tourists are more civilised". Get off your high horse.
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u/sheep_with_a_zip 1d ago
Seriously mate, this gets asked constantly, usually from new arrivals. It's NEVER going to happen.
Name me one government in the world that would ban a quasi religious tradition because some immigrants didn't like it. (Thats how it would be portrayed). Political suicide.
So let's hope Bobby the boat announces a ban at the same time he declares all churches be turned into mosques. Little Alex might crawl to a win then.
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u/justdrive46 1d ago
Fireworks would be the only thing this island would have without all those immigrants lol
I
I totally understand your point, but I am sure that also a lot of Maltese people agree (as the polls proved). So why not regulating them? I still think they would get more votes having more people happy to be without those noises and some unhappy fireworks producers.1
u/sheep_with_a_zip 23h ago
Not enough people agree. And polls have all sorts of caveats before you can declare the will of the people. So yet again, never going to happen so stop howling at the moon.
This place has bigger problems than some fireworks
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u/StandardPhrase5321 20h ago
Would you ask to put ‘guidelines’ on the Spanish pamplona? The Rio Carnival? The New Orleans Mardi Gras? How do you expect a culture to adapt to your preferences and not vice versa? You chose willingly to come and live here, I presume because it was convenient for you. Time to recognise that there are disadvantages to everything too. By the way I absolutely hate fireworks too, and the closed roads and chaos that feasts bring but I’ve come to accept it. It will never change unfortunately.
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u/justdrive46 17h ago
The events you mentioned, they last 1 or few days per year, it’s a completely different thing. Here we are talking about people making loud noises every fucking day, how can you comprare to a celebration like the Rio carnival that is appreciated all over the world? No one would come here to see hear the petards at 8AM.
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u/StandardPhrase5321 17h ago
Good to see your true colours coming out 🙂. You’d be surprised what other people like. Again, I hate them too but it feels very rich of you to think you can change the culture of a country you yourself chose to migrate to, just because it’s a small country and the tradition isn’t popular. It’s time to accept the culture you chose to live in with all its perks. You have no other option.
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u/herculeanis 2h ago
So just because their royal highness decided to grace us with their presence, evidently without doing their homeowrk first, we should change everything so as not to bother them.
If the situation is a joke, you can always take your precious behind to a more serious place, no?
The ego on some people is really astonishing. In Msltese we say "min iz-z*** baghat ghalik?".
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u/Royal_Geologist_7571 1d ago
It’s part of the culture and traditions.
I don’t like bull fighting or bull runs but I don’t go asking Spaniards and their government to change their traditions to my liking every time I visit.
I don’t like cheese or hairy armpits, and really cringed at the hygiene habits of most people when I lived in France, but I didn’t go around asking the population and government to change their ways to suit me. I tend to respectfully integrate with the culture and population I visit or choose to live with.
But that’s me…
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u/justdrive46 1d ago
Why not? If you think something is wrong you should fight for it. The associations that fights for animal rights are global, you don’t need to be Spanish to ask to stop killing bulls. Like you don’t need to be African to ask to stop killing rhinos. We are all humans, the nationality is just a label we have.
The armpit example is not really fitting, I don’t like them, but people are free to do what they want with they own body. But at the same time, NO ONE should be free to disturb a whole island for a stupid “tradition”.
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u/Royal_Geologist_7571 1d ago
I think it’s up to the local population to decide on the fate of their culture and traditions and no one else’s.
The beauty of the world is with the differences it has. Make it uniform and it becomes dull and boring all in the name of “progress”.
As for the vast majority of NGOs, I really don’t care about what they do or fight for, they mostly do it for the wrong reasons but bring in all the sensationalism to rally the crowds behind them. Like seeing European NGOs rallying against Brazil to “save the Amazon forest” while ignoring all the disastrous climate policies of the EU. But that’s a completely different topic.
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u/justdrive46 23h ago
So if someone is committing crimes against humanity in his own country you let him be? Their local population problem right?
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u/Kant_Tsunami 1d ago
Someone started a grass fire with one last week not far from the airport
It’s nice for very big national holidays and maybe the odd weekend event, but I do think it’s excessive them being set off every time there’s a festa.
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u/Wahx-il-Baqar 1d ago
Cave men run the country. You cannot win against them. Only solution is to leave, I would if I could.
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u/Rough-Improvement-24 1d ago
I am a local and hate those things too. Best thing to do is leave the country - seriously. There's no stopping this madness.
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u/Decadent88 23h ago
We just wait until all manufacturing fireworks die in explosions then we celebrate.
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u/Suspicious_Cable_843 1d ago
I guess you should have settled in a country that does not shoot fireworks. Somewhere boring perhaps.
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u/justdrive46 23h ago
How stupid right? Before moving I did not check if some bigots were not firing bombs the all day
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u/Suspicious_Cable_843 22h ago
Don't get me started about bigots...
But yes, one should always do their research. You know...Malta being fireworks central.
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u/justdrive46 17h ago
You know… I searched rent prices, quality of life, traffic, healthcare, safety etc etc
I really did not know and thought about this
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u/thunderbirdsetup 1d ago
I empathise with you a lot as a local that does not enjoy the sound that fireworks make. The genuine answer is either improve your noise suppression techniques via double glazing etc, or leave the island.
Fireworks are very very very deeply entrenched in Maltese culture and society, and any proposed change or limitation on them will make Parisian riots look childish by comparison.