Village feasts are part of our social fabric. However, they can also tear the social fabric at the seams because feasts are increasingly looking less like the celebrations they are meant to be and morelike open-air concerts and parties.

The activities being organised aremore sophisticated, budgets are more generous and the traditional celebrations have expanded to include various satellite events.

There is also increasing rivalry, between neighbouring villages, between different band clubs from the same village and between the internal and external festivities. This, in turn, fuels the various clubs and feast enthusiasts to outdo others in whatever they are doing, including, of course, fireworks.

Admittedly, fireworks are both an attraction and a characteristic of village feasts. However, they are also a primary cause of noise pollution and, to some, a practice that should be stopped.

According to a noise map drawn up by Mepa in 2011, there are at least 100people in Malta who are exposed on a daily basis to ambient noise of at least 75 decibels. This, according to ‘Noise in Europe’, a report by the European Environment Agency, makes Malta one of the most extreme cases of noise pollution in Europe.

While legislation to control noise pollution – from road traffic and construction to neighbourhood noise – exists, it is clear it is not being adequately enforced. The more recent regulations related to fireworks were published in 2010, reducing the size of loud petards from 15 to 12 centimetres and limiting the number of loud petards fired in one session to six, apart from the three-minute salute. What is actually happening is another thing.

In 2002, the Curia had released a set of amended rules governing the organisation of external feast celebrations. Eight years later, it published a document with proposals for consultation on religious feasts. The proposals – including that feasts can last up to eight days and that moderation and prudence are exercised when letting off fireworks – have apparently remained just that, recommendations.

Only last month, the Times of Malta reported that the town of Collechio in Italy introduced new legislation that forces citizens to use only silent fireworks. The law is intended to reduce the severe stress experienced by animals during festivals and events. It is by no means a novel solution for Disneyland Paris has also experimented with noiseless fireworks.

Making the use of silent fireworks compulsory in Maltese feasts and festivals could be a drastic proposal, one that is likely to be met with strong and widespread resistance. However, there is definitely the need for fireworks to have an acceptable decibel level and many of those likely to object to any attempt to go for silent fireworks will probably support a robust move to control noise levels.

In comments given to the this newspaper, Josef Camilleri, president of the Malta Pyrotechnics Association, said: “Maybe people who don’t like fireworks can make a sacrifice for the few short months when there are many displays.” He feels there is need for more appreciation of the talent and hard work put in by fireworks manufacturers.

He is right, as long as everybody makes sacrifices and are appreciative. Fireworks enthusiasts and organisers of external feast celebrations should also acknowledge that loud fireworks are harmful and that while some people would not mind such noise, or may even look forward to it, others find it annoying and perhaps unhealthy too. After all, feasts should be a celebration of respect rather than divisive.