Opinion: Guy Fawkes - enough already with the noise

It's that time of year again: as of yesterday you can buy your fireworks ahead of Guy Fawkes Day. Photo: Ben Fraser

Finally. With the rugby over, we can all get back to uninterrupted sleeps. No more waking in the middle of the night and struggling to work bleary-eyed the next day.

Or so I thought, until I noticed the signs that had popped up around Rotorua while we were catching up on sleep. Yes, it's fireworks time again.

As of yesterday, you can buy your fireworks ahead of Guy Fawkes Day. And there lies my bugbear.

While Thursday is Guy Fawkes, if previous years are anything to go by, we will be subjected to fireworks being let off at all hours of the night for days, weeks, maybe even months to come.

When I was a kid it was a one-night only event. Each family had a bag or two of crackers, the dads would risk life and fingers setting them off while the kids ran around with their sparklers and the mums kept an eye on the chaos. Then, when the crackers were all gone, we went to bed happy and that was it for another year.

Not anymore. Perhaps people just want to prolong the fun, perhaps the limited time period in which you can legally buy them leads to people stockpiling them, but Guy Fawkes has turned into a multi-night effort in my neighbourhood.

Back in the day, pet owners knew to keep their animals inside on Guy Fawkes night. But now, the unpredictability must be a concern for pet owners, not to mention those trying to get kids to sleep.

I love fireworks. I ooh and aah with the best of them during a good fireworks display, admittedly preferring bigger public displays over the backyard variety.

One night a year, maybe even a few nights for those with a good excuse, is all well and good. After that, I admit, the killjoy in me kicks in.

I may be a grumpy old woman, but I am a grumpy old woman who likes my sleep.