New Year's Eve (by the Sea)
In Germany, the days after Christmas and the first days of the new year always seem to repeat the same news cycle: private fireworks are on sale, Germans are very enthusiastic about them, each New Year's Eve seems to be worse than the one before (at least if you're looking at the headlines), a complete ban on private fireworks is debated, and then forgotten for the rest of the year. As a dog owner, staying in a city during New Year's Eve can be a challenge, especially if you own an anxious dog (like I do). But there are parts of Germany, where fireworks are prohibited, either to protect nature or to protect historical town buildings. So last year, I researched where one could go to avoid fireworks - to the North of Germany, to the North Sea and Baltic Sea. What I did not realize is how many people are doing this! All day, traveling, at every gas station and highway stop, we met other people with their dogs, and it was easy to fall into small talk: Oh, we've been driving for five hours already. - Oh, we're going to this island, you have to try it next year. - Oh, our town is horrible with fireworks, and our girl is getting older and older, so better spare here the anxiety. How curious to find a small tradition, exclusive to dog owners, hidden within a bigger one. This year, we'll be at the sea again, and we'll make up some new traditions to end the year that don't scare animals :)
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