I respect all customs and cultures as long as they respect me and my cats…..
Diwali, the “festival of lights” an ancient Hindu festival signifying victory of “light over darkness” and “good over evil”, terrifies domestic cats and dogs. It also irritates the hell out of me for the simple reason that it is an excuse for the participants to set off loud fireworks which they do with gay abandon, thoroughly enjoying themselves, while terrifying countless numbers of pets.
It only takes one family of five people living in one home in one suburb of London to terrify perhaps thousands of cats and dogs and irritate many hundreds of elderly people who want a bit of peace and quiet.
The sound of loud fireworks travels about a mile; about half a mile away the sound is still very loud. Let’s not forget that these fireworks explode in the air about 100 metres up, which allows the sound to travel very easily far and wide.
So we have five people enjoying themselves setting off loud fireworks at the expense of thousands of animals and people. Is this fair and is this correct and should it be stopped?
In my opinion it should be stopped for many reasons. Firstly, the Indian festival of Diwali falls just before Guy Fawkes Night, also called Fireworks Night in the UK. In 2014 Diwali falls on October 22 and lasts for two days before that date and two days after it, so we have five days of fireworks.
When the festival of Diwali stops we enter a second protracted session of fireworks for Guy Fawkes night which starts before and goes on after November 5th.
Accordingly, residents who don’t like fireworks and all domestic cats and dogs who are terrified by fireworks have to put up with them for up to 4 weeks and more sometimes. This is not correct. This is totally unfair and it is a public nuisance.
Fireworks should not be sold to the public. Fireworks should be sold to professionals who set up professional displays in parks a good distance from residential homes.
Professional firework displays celebrating Diwali and Guy Fawkes night should take place on one night only.
The government should instigate regulations which insist upon this taking place. There really must be a ban on fireworks being sold to the public because in allowing the public to buy them represents an absolute disregard for the welfare of domestic cats and dogs. It is also leads to many children being seriously injured.
There is an extra dimension to this problem because there are many more Indians in the UK nowadays due to immigration and therefore a far greater chance that native British people and their cats and dogs have to put up with this unpleasant disruption.
It really is time that something happened and I’m sure that many millions of people will agree with what I am stating in this article.
It is ironic that Diwali is described as a festival in which “knowledge over ignorance” and “hope over despair” is celebrated. It is both ignorant of people and impolite of them to set off loud fireworks at the expense of others and their pets.
For a cat terrified by the sound of loud fireworks hiding under a piece of furniture in someone’s home there is no hope over despair just terror over peace. Stop these bloody fireworks!
Notes:
- Photo by Swaminathan who says “May this Diwali bring forth light ,joy and happiness in you lives” – it does not I am afraid.
- I respect all customs and cultures as long as they respect me and my cats.
When we were kids we had Roman Candles and Catherine Wheels and Snow Fountains, all pretty fireworks with no bangs. We had a one evening celebration with a bonfire in the street, everyone came out,on November 5th, unless it was a Sunday then it was held the evening before or after. Our parents lit the fireworks and all the kids watched and had potatoes cooked in their jackets in the bonfire and we had great fun. Next day we cleaned it all up and that was it for a year.
Now it goes on for weeks and it’s all noise and total confusion because it’s Halloween coming up too and kids are round the doors begging for that and incredibly some people are putting their Christmas trees and lights up already! The shops are full of stuff for all 3 celebrations!
It seems as if kids and young people can’t wait and anticipate things nowadays, they have to have it all, here and now, regardless of how it affects older people and animals.
The thought of the future of this planet is frightening!
Michael here is a link to the morning newspaper in Mumbai. My locality of “PRABHADEVI” in Mumbai was the loudest in Diwali crackers in entire Mumbai city.My cats have really got adjusted to the Cracker noises.:-
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31804&articlexml=Diwali-2014-Prabhadevi-Worli-noisier-than-in-past-26102014002028
Which planet does Jennifer James live on? lol
‘most people enjoy ‘noise and vibration’ she says!
I don’t know a single person who does, in fact it causes some great distress, especially old people.
Maybe young people grow up acclimatised as it’s a much noisier world all round now, like they drive with the car radio booming so much the car shakes, how do they concentrate on the road?
I really felt for your little Ethel when you used to tell me about how frightened she was, our Ebony was the same, thankfully her fear didn’t rub off on Walt and Jo.
Yes quite a few cats and dogs bolt at this time of year, but selfish humans who set off bangers don’t care about animals suffering as long as they get their own enjoyment!
There are desensitisation programmes, which involve playing the scary sound to your pet at a low volume, whilst they’re doing an activity they enjoy. Very gradually you increase the volume until the animals pays no attention to the sound.
I’ve not tried that myself, but believe it can work on most, if not all animals.
Using fireworks is a self act. Also why don’t people who celebrate Diwali use quiet fireworks and candles and so on? Far more gentle and positive. There is no obligation to use these explosives fireworks which are like bombs.
It is a horrible time of year and I have only recently realised that Diwali extends the period of fireworks by a good week or more. It is a nightmare. I think it is very selfish and impolite for people to set off fireworks because the noise affects hundreds of people and no one asks these people if they mind. The noise is imposed on them. The only answer is one night and a professional display.