Fireworks and Flames

Basically a montage of paper mache cartoon-like figures reaching maybe 15 metres, often lampooning politicians, will be positioned at many of the intersections of streets in the middle of the road. These are accompanied by very loud fireworks set off by the people at frequent intervals throughout the city until well after midnight.

Mascletas

At pre-arranged times, several times a day, officially organised ‘mascletas’, happen where many loud fireworks are set off at prearranged times. These are heard by  hundreds of people in the streets as it’s not possible to see unless you waited two hours in the street. Late on the last Sunday all the mannequins are burnt. I have never seen so many people crammed together in good spirits and apart from predictable thefts and out of control fires there are very few incidents. 

Group Behaviours

What is so interesting is the behaviour of the people. You can see the people, mainly young women in traditional dress giving flowers at the statue of the virgin, clearly honoured and clearly believing. People of all ages buy and set off loud fireworks in the middle of the pavement or road with complaints.

Teaching the Children

The children from the age of 8 go out with little wooden boxes full of fireworks and just set them off without incident in the middle of the street and have great fun. How? Because they are taught by their peers and parents how to do it. I set light to my first fireworks since I was 15.

Overcoming personal fears

The last time I lit a firework I was 12 years old. So I was very definitely out of my comfort zone when it came to lighting and holding live fireworks squirting into the air or knowing which ones to light and throw into the distance awaiting a loud bang.