New Year's Eve fireworks: stress and danger for our animals!

New Year's Eve fireworks: stress and danger for our animals!

Today is December 31st, 2025, and like every year, the New Year's Eve fireworks break over Bavaria. The glittering turn of the year delights many, but the dark side of this tradition often fades into the background. It is not only a celebration for people, but also an absolutely stressful situation for animals.

Fireworks are an integral part of the New Year, but the noise and flashes of light are extremely stressful for our pets and wild animals. As the Frankenpost reported, the sale of fireworks is permitted in Germany from December 29th to 31st. Permitted items include rockets, firecrackers and swarmers, which are sold exclusively to buyers of legal age. Small fireworks, such as the traditional star throwers, can be purchased all year round.

The dark underbelly of fireworks

New Year's Eve is a big challenge for many animals. Biologist Janosch Arnold from the Baden-Württemberg Wildlife Research Center points out that the noise from firecrackers and rockets is a drastic disturbance for wild animals. Even during the winter month when these animals switch to energy saving mode, the fireworks result in unnecessary energy consumption. One example is hedgehogs, who are woken from their hibernation by the noise and thus overuse their energy reserves.

But it's not just hedgehogs who suffer: birds also panic and leave their resting places, which is particularly stressful in winter. The daily news reports that older studies from the Netherlands show that fireworks cause large movements of birds. Another example is confirmed by a study by the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology, which shows that wild geese try to escape the noise of fireworks. Many experts, including NABU, are therefore calling for a ban on firecrackers, especially in sensitive habitats such as forest edges and wetlands.

About panic and dangers for the animal world

Klaus Hackländer from the German Wildlife Foundation warns that New Year's Eve is a catastrophe for many animals. After the turn of the year, injured or even dead animals are often found. According to reports from the Eco test Many birds fly into panicked walls or fall from rocks in the Alps. Impacts like these can seriously jeopardize the chances of survival of wild animals and their offspring.

Especially in winter, the cold, coupled with the disruption caused by firecrackers, makes it difficult for numerous birds to find food. Ornithologists report disturbed flocks of birds and empty resting places on January 1st, a sign that the animals are frightened and unsettled.

A rethink is necessary

Given these problems, it is high time that society rethinks how it celebrates the New Year. The Hesse Nature Conservation Association emphasizes that traditions can change and that there are alternative rituals that do not put strain on the animals. While the Netherlands will introduce a ban on firecrackers from 2026/2027, a rethink is also required in Germany.

A ban on New Year's Eve fireworks could not only improve the animals' quality of life, but also air quality. This year's turn of the year should be an opportunity to reflect on your own influence on nature and, if necessary, to take new paths - away from firecrackers and towards a more peaceful coexistence between people and animals.