A Malaysian content creator has used Chinese New Year as an opportunity to call for more mindfulness around fireworks, sharing a personal experience that has struck a chord with pet owners and animal lovers online.
Lucas, who has previously spoken about the impact of fireworks on animals, posted on Facebook on February 15 urging Malaysians to spare a thought for those affected by loud fireworks during the festive season including stray animals, neighbours, children, and the elderly.
He Used to Set Off Fireworks Too
What gives Lucas’s message its weight is that he was not always on this side of the argument. He openly admitted in his post that he used to set off fireworks during festive celebrations himself until having a pet dog changed how he saw things.
He described a night when the fireworks outside were so loud that his dog could not sleep, trembling uncontrollably and urinating out of fear even while being held safely in Lucas’s arms.
“My pet dog in my arms was trembling, so what about those strays?” he wrote. “I can’t imagine the stray animals on the street, the birds in the trees, and other animals. I’ve heard some dogs ran out of the house and lost their way.”
More Than Just a Pet Issue
Lucas did not stop at pets. He was equally vocal about the impact on people pointing out that loud fireworks late into the night affect neighbours and are especially distressing for young children and the elderly.
His post also took a more philosophical turn. He described the impulse to set off fireworks as “uncultured” and posed a direct question to his followers.
“Humans are already flawed beyond measure and I cannot answer for every living being, but must we surrender to the primal urge stirred by fire and thunder?” he wrote.
He acknowledged the cultural and religious weight behind the tradition including its association with driving away the mythical Nian beast, but questioned whether defining culture and religion as the height of human civilization truly holds up to scrutiny.
A Discussion That Continues
The post drew responses from Malaysians on both sides of the debate, with some relating to Lucas’s experience and others arguing that fireworks are a legitimate part of festive culture.
It is a conversation that resurfaces every festive season. How to celebrate in a way that is joyful for some without being distressing for others, whether they are pets, strays, or the people next door.
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