35 percent price rise for fireworks, people may get a fine of 372 EUR

Christmas tree sellers are replaced by fireworks stalls. The combination of the USD/HUF exchange rate and inflation will mean that people have to pay 30-40 percent more for fireworks on New Year’s Eve 2022 than in 2021. Fireworks purchased from legal sellers may be used from 6 PM on 31 December until 6 AM on 1 January, the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) said.

This year, there are fewer places to buy New Year’s Eve fireworks, so businesses selling pyrotechnics are expecting a rise, RTL news reported.

According to the report, it will be possible to buy fireworks for New Year’s Eve from 28 December.

Photo: Facebook

Anyone using an illegal item will be fined strictly by the authorities. Poeple should only buy from a reliable source from an officially licensed dealer. For example, Lidl is offering an extra discount on the 28th and 29th on these essential New Year’s Eve accessories.

• Read also: Hungarian firefighters worked 133 locations on the first day of Christmas

On New Year’s Eve, firefighters are called to an average of fifty fires caused by fireworks. Most of these are small fires. However, every year, there are two or three larger fires that cause millions of forints worth of damage. The most common fires are fires involving pine trees, arbutus and rubbish bins, but it is not uncommon for a rocket to land on a balcony or fly through a room window and start a fire, the disaster management authorities said last year to penzcentrum.hu.

Photo: Facebook: Váli Önkormányzati Tűzoltóság

Specific rules for using fireworks

Firecrackers will be banned this year, as they have been every year since 2005, according to penzcentrum.hu. Possession will be considered to be illegal and anyone who celebrates with it will be fined 150,000 HUF (372 EUR).

Fireworks of pyrotechnic categories 1 and 2 are available all year round. Category 3 products can only be purchased between 28 and 31 December. Professional fireworks of category 4 can only be purchased during this period by a qualified pyrotechnician with a valid licence, says police.hu.

Photo: Facebook

Class 1 pyrotechnic articles can be purchased and used from the age of 14. Class 2 from the age of 16, while Class 3 articles can only be purchased by adults.

Any product of pyrotechnic article class 3 that is not used, or any damaged or expired product, must be returned to the distributor within five days of New Year’s Eve. The distributor must take it back free of charge.

• Read also: The Hungarian forint has seen its worst year in 2022

Source: penzcentrum.hu