Those fireworks

In the run up to Christmas there were more stalls selling fireworks than Joseph, Mary and Christ Child cr?ches. Every mall, every major grocery plus street corners had their fireworks tent or stall nearby. Who was fooling who that there are legal restrictions on the category of fireworks which may be set off, particularly in urban or built up areas? What use are these legal restrictions if they do not bind those who sell, store or advertise for sale? What are the legal rights of the elderly, the ill, animal owners among others, where the noise of scratch bombs may be a serious disturbance? Why can’t fireworks be sparkles, sparkle palm trees or the numerous fireworks items with little noise? Fireworks are not new to our culture. How then this lapse into do-as-you-like?

The Nineteenth Century

As early as the nineteenth century fireworks were used to mark some cultural or religious festivals. Father Bertrand Cathoney, a Dominican priest from France, writes of the display to mark the eve of the feast of the Assumption 14th 1885: “At the shrine of Mary (Laventille) … for the whole night there were fireworks — extremely beautiful. Luminous trails were rising in the air and after making a sort of bow before the queen of the night exploding either in bouquets of fiery flowers or in crowns…” We know from Father Cathoney’s writing — selected and translated by Sister Marie Therese Retout OP — that fireworks were part of an offering from the Portuguese community in honour of Our Lady. It would seem that, at the time, fireworks were used to mark particular religious festivals while firecrackers with, according to Father Cathoney “… a sound like a volley of gunshots”, were used for some celebrations, replacing actual gunshots. Fireworks were not only a Portuguese or European custom. They were traditionally used by the Chinese particularly for the Chinese New Year festival. Anthropologists have seen in this the belief that the noise scared off evil spirits which could bring ill luck to the New Year.

Patrick Jones

From the end of the 1920’s fireworks were manufactured here by Patrick Jones. He was the first pyrotechnist in Trinidad and Tobago and perhaps in the English speaking Caribbean. Hakka speaking, his fireworks included a version of the hot air balloons of which there has recently been much debate. His major display was funded by the Port-of-Spain City Council to mark Emancipation day. This Father Cathoney describes as a major festival. It began with Mass, was followed by the distribution of blessed bread and then by the African Festival. At the demand of the Planters, it was replaced by Discovery Day. The August fireworks became Discovery Day fireworks. This was the time for elaborate pieces: the duck laying eggs, the Coronation of George VI. During the year fireworks were sold for Divali and Old Year’s night. These were largely spangles, what we called trees and Roman Candles, with some firecrackers. Three “booms” — marked the opening of Santa Rosa and J’Ouvert. Fireworks were therefore limited by the amount of noise — which came under explosives if I recall correctly — limited to certain times, limited by the necessity to conform to permissions given by the police, limited by the fact that they were not mass produced and limited because both police and fire brigade laid the onus of conforming to the law on the person who manufactured and sold. There is no way that the police can monitor today’s fireworks widely sold and fired off anyhow, anytime, anywhere. Patrick Jones died soon after Independence. That epoch of control has long since passed.

Au Revoir Th?rese

On New Year’s Day Th?rese Mills said her au revoir to us. She did it privately, as she did for any other voyage. That slip away even if it was New Year’s Day, was Th?rese. It remains a marvel that Th?rese worked, marked her profession and was a magnificent mother to three children. She was a single mother. There was no “choice” for Th?rese. She served her family and her career. Au Revoir Th?rese. We will catch up next week.