06/11/2025
It’s Not the Fireworks — It’s the Noise
Awareness and compassion don’t stop the celebration — they make space for everyone to feel safe in it.
If I hadn’t known it was fireworks last night, I’d have thought we were living in a war zone. The explosions were that loud — deep, shaking, relentless — and they went on for hours. Some people say, “It’s just one night a year,” but it’s not. Around here, it’s been going on for weeks and will likely continue for days after.
I was chatting to a father and his neurodivergent son this morning — they always stop to say hello to my dog — and he said, “It just gets worse every year, doesn’t it?” He’s right. It’s not the fireworks themselves, it’s the noise. The sheer, unnecessary volume that affects so many people and animals. Research suggests around 15–20% of the population are neurodivergent, and a similar number are highly sensitive — not everyone dislikes fireworks, but that’s a lot of people likely to struggle with the intensity.
My own dog never used to be terrified, until a few frightening experiences changed everything. Now, as soon as darkness falls, he refuses to go out at all. Many others are the same — some pets even die from heart attacks, and neighbours I know have gone away just to help their dogs feel safe.
It’s not about stopping celebrations. It’s about awareness and consideration — remembering that we share our neighbourhoods with others whose nervous systems may not experience those sounds as fun. A little more awareness could make such a difference — for the animals, for our neighbours, and for each other.