HandMadeFireworks
02-23-2011, 02:42 PM
Im going to write this in English to make it easier for the world to read about the types of fireworks in Norway.
In the US, there is large walk in firework stores etc all over the place which often is open all year round, and then smaller retailers with smaller quantity.
In Norway, the fireworks are shipped in containers to local stores and distributed from there. The stores may be anything. Fishing equipment, hardware store, anything. As long as they meet the fire departments requirements on storage, and have good enough security. And the fireworks is only sold in the few days before New Years Eve! That’s the main difference in how the fireworks is sold.
This is a list of the common firework types I know, and a comment about them, legal or not, common or rarely seen etc in Norway. Now you can compare it to the laws in your contry.
Enjoy!
Assortments
Legal but without any of the illegal types of fireworks, read below. Various content, from the kids assortment to the pyro nut assortment. After the rocket ban in 2008 they mostly consist of cakes and a few fountains.
Aerial Repeaters, or “Cakes”
Cakes are completely legal. There is a large variety of cakes out there, and they may contain up to 1000g explosive content. (So the cakes in Norway are great!)
Reloadable shells
Illegal. Have been banned for a long time.
Single shot tubes
Legal up to 35mm ID.
Firecrackers
Illegal due to all the injuries they caused. Banned for a long time.
Fountains
Legal, but not as common as in the US. The assortment is very limited, and they are often quite dull and boring.
Ground Spinners
Legal, usually found in kids assortments and might be sold separately.
Mines
Usually, when they say “mines” they refer to a large cake with good quality (Spherical) airbursts with rising effects.
Novelties
Anything that looks like a toy is illegal. Banned in 2008 due to the risk of small kids to play with them, and they often put things in the mouth!
Party poppers and Snappers
Party Poppers are legal and sold in all larger grocery stores all year round; usually you have to be 15 or 16 years old to buy.
Snappers are often sold on 17. May, Norway’s answer to 4th of July, but fireworks in general is not sold for this occasion. They are usually hard to get if not in the novelty shops on 17. May.
Rockets
Illegal, banned in 2008. Statistics showed that most severe accidents with fireworks involved rockets with sticks, any size. It was just too easy to do something wrong then launching them. It could tip over, stay on the ground, or be aimed on purpose. It’s harder to do anything wrong with a cake…
Roman candles
Not often sold individually, common part of assortments. Not allowed to launch aerial bursts, only stars. Usually they alternate between red and green.
Smoke
Very rare, only a very few distributors care to sell them. And it’s pretty much always the small colored balls.
Snakes
Never seen.
Strobes
Commonly sold separate, and in assortments.
Sparklers
Larger ones commonly sold along regular fireworks. Smaller ones, about 6-8” long is sold in party sections on grocery stores.
Wheels
Not banned but rarely, if not never seen.
All the major hazardous fireworks is banned. Rockets, aerial shells, firecrackers etc. Those are the ones that frequently is involved in accidents.
In the US, there is large walk in firework stores etc all over the place which often is open all year round, and then smaller retailers with smaller quantity.
In Norway, the fireworks are shipped in containers to local stores and distributed from there. The stores may be anything. Fishing equipment, hardware store, anything. As long as they meet the fire departments requirements on storage, and have good enough security. And the fireworks is only sold in the few days before New Years Eve! That’s the main difference in how the fireworks is sold.
This is a list of the common firework types I know, and a comment about them, legal or not, common or rarely seen etc in Norway. Now you can compare it to the laws in your contry.
Enjoy!
Assortments
Legal but without any of the illegal types of fireworks, read below. Various content, from the kids assortment to the pyro nut assortment. After the rocket ban in 2008 they mostly consist of cakes and a few fountains.
Aerial Repeaters, or “Cakes”
Cakes are completely legal. There is a large variety of cakes out there, and they may contain up to 1000g explosive content. (So the cakes in Norway are great!)
Reloadable shells
Illegal. Have been banned for a long time.
Single shot tubes
Legal up to 35mm ID.
Firecrackers
Illegal due to all the injuries they caused. Banned for a long time.
Fountains
Legal, but not as common as in the US. The assortment is very limited, and they are often quite dull and boring.
Ground Spinners
Legal, usually found in kids assortments and might be sold separately.
Mines
Usually, when they say “mines” they refer to a large cake with good quality (Spherical) airbursts with rising effects.
Novelties
Anything that looks like a toy is illegal. Banned in 2008 due to the risk of small kids to play with them, and they often put things in the mouth!
Party poppers and Snappers
Party Poppers are legal and sold in all larger grocery stores all year round; usually you have to be 15 or 16 years old to buy.
Snappers are often sold on 17. May, Norway’s answer to 4th of July, but fireworks in general is not sold for this occasion. They are usually hard to get if not in the novelty shops on 17. May.
Rockets
Illegal, banned in 2008. Statistics showed that most severe accidents with fireworks involved rockets with sticks, any size. It was just too easy to do something wrong then launching them. It could tip over, stay on the ground, or be aimed on purpose. It’s harder to do anything wrong with a cake…
Roman candles
Not often sold individually, common part of assortments. Not allowed to launch aerial bursts, only stars. Usually they alternate between red and green.
Smoke
Very rare, only a very few distributors care to sell them. And it’s pretty much always the small colored balls.
Snakes
Never seen.
Strobes
Commonly sold separate, and in assortments.
Sparklers
Larger ones commonly sold along regular fireworks. Smaller ones, about 6-8” long is sold in party sections on grocery stores.
Wheels
Not banned but rarely, if not never seen.
All the major hazardous fireworks is banned. Rockets, aerial shells, firecrackers etc. Those are the ones that frequently is involved in accidents.