"For many in Germany the 31st was a holiday. If they were open, as were most of the bakeries, meat and grocery stores, they were swamped with customers before they closed at noon. Traditionally the 1st is a holiday and the stores and business would all be closed. They are also always closed on Sunday, so there was a real need to stock up on fresh bread and food. Germans often purchase only enough fresh foodstuff to last a day or two, so the prospect of not having fresh bread for a few days motivated many to brave the rush to the markets. Also, the bakeries and confectioneries sell pig-shaped or chimney sweep shaped lucky cakes and candies, which are passed around for good luck on the New Years.
Here in Baden Wuerttenburg the afternoon before the Millennium was unusually still. By noon, the streets were deserted, the houses quiet. For once, the autobahns were deserted and no traffic jams were reported. But, it was as if everyone was resting, preparing for the big event. As it began to get dark, the occasional fireworks began.
The German newscasts carried interviews with other poor souls trapped watching computers roll over, making sure that electricity, heat, water and other infrastructure systems were not affected by the predicted computer glitches. We conducted our pre-rollover communications checks, rounded up the wayward and less willing reporters and waited. Then the fireworks began - the real ones, not the ones expected from computer malfunctions.
We can see the Castle of Heidleberg from our offices, looking towards the woods. The display must have lasted an hour. Each September they reenact the burning of the Heidelburg castle, but this far exceeded that. You almost needed sunglasses! It was wonderful. Luckily, we have lots of wet weather, so fires were not a problem.
We then began the task of collecting the reports from where the Americans are hosted overseas. As nation after nation reported no significant disruptions or problems, there was kind of a sense of almost sadness, as if something was passing.
This morning at 5 the streets were uncharacteristically littered - residual fireworks casing everywhere. And the streets were crowded with early morning parties walking home.
My office mate reported that as they counted down in his home, when they yelled "zero" his son-in-law cut the power plunging them into darkness. After the moment of disbelief, they all realized it was a joke since there's was the only dark house in the neighborhood. So, even though it was "Y2 Yawn" for much of the world, someone, somewhere did get in a good Y2K joke."
