New Year around the World

[Bangers & Mash]

AMSTERDAM

Like many things in life, some things just have to be experienced and New Year in Amsterdam you just have to experience to believe.

If the UK is developing into a "Nanny State" of rules and regulations - you can't do this, you can do this and you must do this - then Amsterdam must by contrast be the "Mummy State" - don't come running to us if you kill yourself!

Everybody I asked about New Year in Amsterdam told me the same thing - "It's Loud" and "Fireworks"

However, unlike the organised displays around the world, the Dutch seem to have adopted the attitude of "give everyone a firework and let's see what happens."

In fact, for those who have been to Edinburgh Hogmany and crowded onto Princes Street - imagine giving everybody there a bag of fireworks, including bangers and rockets and "illegal imports" that are the size of car batteries, and then imagine everybody lights them all where they are standing - and you pretty much have it.

For those of you who can't picture that, simply lay out all the fireworks where everybody is standing, some in piles, some in bottles, some in trees and some propped against push bikes; light them all, and pray!

And this seems to happen everywhere. There is not a street you can walk along without seeing and hearing fireworks - coming off the roadside, coming off balconies, coming out of windows. Indeed, in Amsterdam it seems that (much like Queens Day where if it there is any way that it could possibly float, the Dutch sail in it), for New Year, if it has an orifice that can take a rocket, then a rocket goes in it

As for the rest of the celebrations, the bar we were in was regulars and tickets only. Interestingly enough - according to the bars manager - "because last year a whole crowd of boring Dutch people came in at 5 to midnight and ordered coffees, and we don't want that to happen again"

That meant that we were surrounded by expats from all over Europe, those Dutch people that were allowed in and one small group of American tourists that numbered one who had partaken, for his first time, in a "coffee shop" en route and proceeded to get louder as the night progressed - much to the embarassment of his friends - before falling asleep in his beer!

At midnight, everybody pulled bottles of champagne and bags of fireworks from under their tables, rushed out to the square, lit them, drank them, said Happy New Year and then rushed back in again to avoid the fireworks they'd just lit.

Finally the partying continued, until one o' clock when everybody celebrated New Year again cos it was midnight in the UK and then returned to their partying.

Anyway, that was my New Year. Hope you all had a great one too.

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Bangers & Mash

"give everyone a firework and let's see what happens."

I shall never quite think of your name in the same way again...

Apt that you spent Hogmany somewhere where you couldn't escape the bangers...

Sounds like it was frightening but fun, though.
Happy New Year to you

[Little Monkey]

Originally Posted by Bangers & Mash

LOTS OF FIREWORKS!!!!

You know, it sounds like you just described New Years Eve in Norway! Everyone tries to outdo each other with the biggest possible fireworks, and everyone just go crazy! At midnight, it's like the entire country blows up!!!

One year my dad (who isn't exactly known for his sanity) came home with the biggest fireworks I've ever seen (apart from maybe some very big public ones.......? Nah!). The box was bigger than a banana crate (like the ones you get in tesco....), and when lit, kept on going for at least 15 minutes! It was absolutely awesome! And of course highly illegal.....

If you want to have the dullest NYE ever, on the other hand, try Dundee. Go into the city centre just before the bells go, and you'll see........ Well, maybe some pigeons and a few policemen. And that's it. Hooray for Dundee!