This year we wanted to do something special New Year’s Eve. Brian and Verena Enns (our new coworkers in Zaporozhye) were visiting us and we decided that it would be enjoyable to “bring in the New Year” in Lenin Square, in the center of Donetsk.
Neither Laura nor I had ever been anywhere resembling Times Square for such an event, and this may have been as close as we will ever come. While they did not have a large ball dropping to start the New Year, we knew when it came. There were fireworks everywhere. Some of the people celebrating in the square probably had a little too much to drink, and that probably hindered their ability to actually wait until midnight. That was good, because it served as a countdown of sorts. At midnight, we watched several large fireworks displays. It felt safe, even though debris was falling on us and inebriated people were dancing, singing, and shooting off their own moderate shows in our very close proximity.
Everyone seemed to be happy, as New Year’s is the big holiday every year for the majority of Ukrainians. It is the one time of the year when the markets seem to be overrun with fireworks and other nonessential products. And we know now that people are buying them.
Dave
