Saturday, June 11

Not-quite-cracker-night


I know it's in the interest of safety and all but I miss cracker night don't you?  I have fond memories of my Dad getting the whole backyard ready with roman candles (the ones that hooked onto the ground and shot coloured fireballs into the sky, 7,9 and 12 ball..) pinwheels, thunderbolts, golf balls, tom thumbs and who could forget throw-downs?  Oh I loved them best, out on my front path, with the neighbourhood kids, we all loved throw-downs.

My kids won't have that, unless we decide to move to the ACT (been there done that, not for us thanks) and I don't even know if they have local cracker nights around here (I must look) but I love cracker night and our girls are old enough to stay up and be dazzled.  Like we were as kids.

Tonight we thought we'd give them a (lame) taste of it all - sparklers. In the freezing cold in pyjamas no less but it didn't matter to the frills they loved it!



Did you used to do cracker-night as a kid?  Do you go to see any cracker nights now?
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12 lovely comments:

Unknown on June 11, 2011 at 6:34 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]
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Amy on June 11, 2011 at 6:35 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

See living in QLD we have never had cracker night... But my parents are from Queanbeyan so we have heard all the stories growing up, but never expereinced it. It sounds like so much fun.

I actually I have had a cracker night, when I was on an exchange trip to Japan when I was 15. All us kids gathered around the river in the town and had a ball.

Love your sparklers though!

Deb on June 11, 2011 at 6:52 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

nope, the fun police stopped crackers about 2 years ago in the ACT. boooo!

Cass on June 11, 2011 at 7:00 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

I used to love cracker night as a kid. We always went to our friends house, a lot of our friends all lived around each other and their was a big vacant lot out the back of one house that the dads used to set the fireworks up in. All us kids ran riot, the dads did the fireworks and the mums had a few too many cask wines. Those were the days.

amummy on June 11, 2011 at 8:06 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

Deb, beat me too it.

But just wanted to say that cracker nights are banned in the ACT. Didn't stop some idiots setting some off a short time ago.

We didn't really do cracker night as a child. I can remember 1 cracker night where we (the kids) watched from inside as the adults lit the fireworks outside.
Also growing up with dogs, I always remember the dogs being really scared.

Tammy on June 11, 2011 at 8:45 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

I have great memories of Cracker nights and bonfires in NSW as a kid. I'm in the ACT and we have not had 'cracker nights' for a few years now. The supplies the loonies own are dwindling and they are heard less frequently each year http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/24/2664761.htm

Cate on June 11, 2011 at 9:46 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

I have a memory of a cracker night - we were really little - we had all the crackers tucked away safely in the old "globite" suitcase - we were hiding safely under a stairwell watching while our fearless dad lit the wonderful fireworks. The spinning Catherine Wheels the Roman Candles, and the sparklers... they were al so beautiful.....

It was pure magic..... oh how I wish those days were still with us.....

Oh, but we grow old and the magic diminishes....

Shell on June 11, 2011 at 10:34 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

There is a cracker night at the primary school up the road from us - which reminds me, I must drive by to find out the date - it will be soon.
Great thing about being winter and getting dark early, cracker nights don't mean late nights.
We may take the girls in to Darling Harbour one week too - as they have fireworks at 8pm on a Saturday night in winter.
(and to top all that off... we may or may not have a box of crackers that come out on NYE - they are aging a bit now though - nothing compared to a proper cracker night)

Green Mama on June 12, 2011 at 8:27 AM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

I remember... I was always a little anxious because my mum would be practically sitting on us screaming watch out- she grew up in the era of people getting horrific burns etc etc etc which is why they were banned in the first place. Having said that, we've had the last two NYE here, just quiet nights with some close friends, and (shhhhh....) fireworks. Shhh....

muppy on June 12, 2011 at 8:39 AM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

we lived on a farm and had a huge bonfire and fireworks.....things change....

Little miss moi on June 12, 2011 at 9:46 AM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

They still have cracker night in the northern territory and I hate it! Crackers let off for weeks before and after - I live in a high rise in town and people let them off from balconies. 1 July can't pass soon enough! (aren't I a miser)

PlanningQueen on June 12, 2011 at 12:23 PM said... [Reply to this amazing comment]

I adored Cracker night and part of me still wishes we had it!


 

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