Fireworks sales begin in the Netherlands amid strict regulations

Fireworks sales officially began in the Netherlands on Saturday, with some stores opening their doors as soon as midnight. In the city center of Beverwijk, customers queued outside in the early hours to purchase fireworks for the New Year’s celebrations.

A NOS photographer on the scene reported that some customers spent thousands of euros on fireworks. The store in Beverwijk closed again at 2 a.m. after serving the midnight rush.

In addition to local stores, Dutch shoppers flocked to nearby German cities like Meppen, just across the border, where fireworks sales also began. Long lines formed both inside and outside stores such as Marktkauf, as Dutch buyers took advantage of Germany’s less stringent regulations and lower prices.

Typically, fireworks sales in the Netherlands take place from December 29 through December 31. However, because December 29 falls on a Sunday this year—when fireworks sales are prohibited in both the Netherlands and Germany—stores were allowed to open a day earlier to accommodate demand.

Fireworks sales in the Netherlands are governed by strict regulations to ensure safety. Vendors are required to provide safety goggles and a lighting stick with every purchase. They must also give customers instructions on how to light fireworks safely.

Buyers are limited to a maximum purchase of 25 kilograms of fireworks, which is also the maximum amount a consumer is allowed to transport in a vehicle.

Although customers are buying fireworks now, they cannot legally set them off until December 31 at 6 p.m. The permitted timeframe for lighting fireworks ends at 2 a.m. on January 1.

In certain municipalities, however, a complete ban on fireworks is in place. In these areas, residents are prohibited from lighting fireworks of any kind during the New Year’s celebrations.

Last year, Dutch consumers spent approximately 105 million euros on fireworks, slightly less than the 110 million euros record set the year before.