I sound like a broken record. This amazes me every year.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (59863)
June 29, 2026 9:36pm CST
Every year, I moan and groan about so many fireworks being set off, for literally weeks before July 4th. As the 4th gets closer, they set off more and more...last night it was nearly 2 AM when I heard the last boomers. Tonight, they started setting them off before 7 PM.
For the record, these are private citizens. Illinois doesn't sell many exciting fireworks for people to buy and take home and set off. But we are not far from the Indiana border, and they go and bring them back. Police have given up on fireworks control. They have to have proof who set them off, who lit the match so to speak, and they say they are sorry but they have all they can do already, and fireworks calls are on the bottom of the list. So here we are, not enjoying all of this racket.
The cities and towns pretty much all have fireworks displays for the holidays--usually on the night of July 4th. I can see them from my patio. They cost me nothing if I want to watch them.
Of course, me always being curious, I started wondering just how much money people waste on fireworks every year.
''Private citizens in the United States spend between $2.2 billion and $2.5 billion annually on consumer fireworks.''
It's also been proven that many who do spend wild crazy amounts on personal fireworks, don't have it to spend, and it usually ends up on a credit card. I think this is crazy.
The biggest user/purchaser of fireworks in the US is Disney.
''Disney spends around $50 million every year on fireworks alone, averaging more than $130,000 every single night.''
I will be glad when the boom noises end, and so will all the poor dogs around here that are so unhappy with the noises. It's nice to celebrate, but the noise doesn't have to last for weeks and weeks! And then there are those who are injured, and the numbers climb every year.
13 people like this
10 responses
@MarieCoyle (59863)
•
11h
No way...99% of the fireworks used in the US are imported from China. Surprise, surprise...ugh.
The animals never get used to it. Dogs especially just hate fireworks.
2 people like this
@Fleura (35426)
• United Kingdom
11h
@MarieCoyle Oh yes, forgot about that. I guess they are the fireworks experts.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (59863)
•
11h
@Fleura
Every year that I can remember, no matter where I lived, I have read or seen on the news about people being hurt badly setting off fireworks. Enough is enough, leave the fireworks to the experts.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (91367)
• United States
1h
I totally agree with you on the people setting off fireworks in neighborhoods. I'm so happy that my dog is almost too deaf now to be bothered by the noise. I'm already anticipating the noise as we get closer to the weekend.
@JESSY3236 (22337)
• United States
1h
Fireworks is illegal in North Carolina before and after July 4th. But people do go to SC to get them. I haven't heard any around here yet. My mother and I went to see a drone show last week that was for the 4th. It was an awesome show.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (59863)
•
58m
Most of the ones that the people set off here are illegal in Illinois, too. They just go elsewhere to buy them and bring them back here.
I prefer to just see them set off by people who know what they are doing, in a fireworks show, at an appropriate time and place. They are mostly too dangerous to be simply backyard fireworks, it's not like they are just smoke bombs or sparklers.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24223)
• United Kingdom
6h
We have the same problem in the UK usually from October onwards until Guy Fawkes night on the 5th of November. Also we have the problem around New Year too. Millions of pounds wasted each year not to mention the injuries & distress it causes to the elderly & animals caused by fireworks. Whilst I would not like to see them banned l think that they should be limited to organised displays.
We live in an area where there are lots of Indians & when they have a celebration for example a wedding or around Divali they spend £100's of pounds on fireworks some of them really big boomers. It is the same throughout Europe especially in France around New Year time.
I did not realise that you had the same behaviour in the USA around July 4th l guess. I expect displays will be even bigger this year with the celebrations for the 250th anniversary celebration of Independence. I hope there are not too many injuries although l suspect there will be.
@NJChicaa (127260)
• United States
7h
I can't stand them. I mean I'm fine with a permitted public display but ones set off by residents? Nope. At the house we had drunks who would set them off and instead of going up they would go sideways through yards like scud missles. They would set people's roofs on fire or land in pools. My beloved cat SoCo was petrified by them and would shake and drool for hours. We would have to put on his Thundershirt and then bury him under the blankets on the bed. It upset me as much as him.
It isn't as much of an issue here and luckily the cats I have now aren't bothered by them.
