Happy New Year!

Sylvester

Sylvester (New Years Eve in Germany) is kind of a big deal. I know I say it every year, but I am totally amazed at the crazy explosives they sell to anyone over 18 that wants them, no experience or license required. To us it's just wierd because buying anything half that size would not even be close to legal in the US. I was talking with my neighbor about it and he thougt it was pretty bizarre/funny that in the States we cannot buy big fireworks to shoot off, but they will sell guns and pistols without hesitation. I guess he has a point, lol.
Anyway, we were prepared this year! We bought lots of stuff that was bigger than what we could buy in the US, but not so huge we were afraid we'd blow ourselves up with it. Colin was SO excited to be buying fireworks. He wanted to hold them in the car on the way home from the store and Shelby told him no, they were going in the back because they were for Sylvester. Bad move Daddy! Colin FREAKED OUT and started sobbing hysterically because he thought they were for him and he had no idea who this Sylvester character was, but he was pissed he had to give him his fireworks! LOL We had to explain to him that Sylvester was a holiday, not a person, it was like Christmas or Easter or Halloween. Then he calmed down, once we assured him that those were Colin's fireworks and we'd be shooting them off the next night.
We made plans to go next door to our neighbor's house and have dinner and celebrate with them. Colin could hardly wait to see his friend after being on vacation for almost 2 weeks. He asked all day long if it was time to go do fireworks at Christian's house yet. I really didn't expect Colin to make it to midnight, but both boys hung in there and were awake to see the countdown on the TV, and for the insanity that breaks loose here in Germany at the stroke of midnight. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, buys those big fireworks and they all shoot them off at 12:00. The whole sky lights up and you have fireworks going off as far as your eyes can see in every direction. The ground shakes and it sounds like a war zone from all the booming and bangs. It is totally awesome.
Here are two quick videos I took:




Colin wasn't a bit scared and was begging us to light the rockets faster. Christian has not been a fan of loud noises since he was a little baby, so it's a pretty scary time for him, but he did come out to see a few. We kept the fireworks show going for over a half hour and then went down the street so watch some of the neighbors that still had some going. About 1am it started winding down and we came inside for some more champagne and cake. Colin was still wide awake and he hung in there until I tucked him into bed at 1:45! Happy New Year!