Carbidschieten – A Netherlands New Year’s tradition
In the Netherlands, New Year’s Eve means partying hard. And partying hard means carbidschieten—detonating calcium carbide in a milk churn:
Basically, a small chunk of calcium carbide and a little bit of water is placed in a metal milk churn. The carbide decomposes into acetylene and a flame is held up to a small hole in the milk churn. The resulting explosion sends the lid of the milk churn across a field and much fun is had by all. Just be sure to wear proper ear protection. 🙂