New Year’s Eve live blog: record sales of fireworks, less chance of State Lottery winnings

More lottery tickets were sold for the New Year’s Eve draw of the State Lottery this year than last year. A total of 7,166,000 lottery tickets were sold. Last year, about 7.1 million lottery tickets were sold. The raffle tickets were on sale until 7 p.m.

“The New Year’s Eve tickets could not be dragged in today and flew over the counter at a record rate of 2,268 per minute,” the State Lottery reports. The New Year’s Eve draw is the biggest draw of the lottery and most tickets are sold in the last few days before New Year’s Eve.

The result will be announced around midnight. The total prize money is 75 million euros. The main prize is 30 million, just like last year, when someone from Utrecht won.

According to the Belangenvereniging Pyrotechniek Nederland (BPN), a record amount of fireworks was sold this year. Fireworks dealers have achieved a turnover of 110 million euros.

The old sales record was 77 million during the turn of the year from 2019 to 2020. The following two years followed a watch ban due to the corona pandemic.

According to a BPN spokesperson, 10 percent of the increased turnover is due to inflation and the higher price of the fireworks. “The rest is really because a lot more has been sold. The enthusiasm for fireworks is very great this year.”

Still visiting friends or family? Then pay attention if you have to go to North Holland or Friesland (or come back again). The KNMI has given code yellow due to heavy gusts of wind.

People who attack aid workers during the turn of the year will be “severely dealt with”. That says Minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Justice and Security). She warns that New Year’s Eve is seen as an event and that attacks on police, fire and ambulance employees can be punished more severely.

Bakery Hendricksen in Baarn also has a large row of oliebollen.

In Soest today is the annual Sylvestercross, the running event in which many international top athletes participate. Last night was ‘Sylvester by night’: 800 participants walked on an illuminated course. The prominents will start this afternoon at 2 p.m.

Two weeks ago, RTV Utrecht followed a few participants:

You can buy oliebollen today at the fire brigade in Maarn. And take a ride in the fire engine.

In Bunnik, there was already a queue at Bakker Vonk’s oliebollen stand before 09:00 this morning. It is an emotional day for the entrepreneurs, because after today they will stop. They say they can no longer cough up energy and raw material prices. Bakker Vonk is taken over by another bakery entrepreneur.

Some animals get quite upset by fireworks. Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen makes an urgent appeal: “Please shoot less this year. Or even better not at all.” The zoo will try to bring in as many animals as possible and distract them by turning up the radio loudly.

Non-alcoholic drinks are becoming increasingly popular. Liquor stores and the Trimbos Institute, an addiction clinic, also notice this during New Year’s Eve. Especially people in their thirties are drinking it more and more, because they want to live a healthier life.

Moped riders and people on shared scooters must wear a helmet from 1 January. Selling laughing gas will be banned and women who want an abortion will no longer be required to have a five-day reflection period. An overview of the most important changes in laws and regulations from 2023: