The New Year Should Bring Hope — Not Sirens, Burns, and Blindness

As Sri Lanka prepares to welcome the New Year 2026 on the night of December 3, 2025 it is imperative to pause and reflect on the serious dangers associated with the use of firecrackers —particularly the substandard products currently flooding the market.

These low-quality firecrackers pose a grave risk to public safety. Every year, hospitals report a surge in preventable injuries, including severe eye damage, burns, permanent hearing loss, and trauma—often affecting children and bystanders who had no part in the celebration. A single moment of carelessness can result in lifelong disability.

It is time to seriously reconsider whether lighting firecrackers should remain part of our New Year traditions. At a time when countless Sri Lankans are still reeling from the devastating impact of the Ditwah Cyclone—having lost homes, livelihoods, and basic necessities—spending hard-earned money on dangerous, short-lived displays seems not only wasteful but morally questionable.

Beyond the human toll, firecrackers significantly contribute to air and noise pollution, worsening environmental degradation and public health concerns. The deafening explosions cause immense distress to the elderly, the sick, young children, and especially animals, who experience fear and disorientation during such events.

Would it not be far more meaningful to welcome the New Year by choosing compassion over chaos? The money spent on firecrackers could instead be used to feed the hungry, provide clothing to those in need, support children with school stationery as they begin a new academic year, or assist families still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Let the dawn of 2026 be marked not by smoke, noise, and injury—but by empathy, responsibility, and acts of kindness that truly uplift our society.

- Mohamed  Zahran

Colombo