I missed out entirely on "cracker nights". Fireworks being illegal in Qld, we had to make our own, which makes enjoying them a furtive rather than festive occasion. The lack of availability of small fireworks means that most kids have no idea of their destructive potential. Knowing the odd kid with a missing finger probably encouraged caution, a caution sadly lacking these days. Kids think crackers look like the ones in cartoons and want to build metal-jacketed rockets like in movies, unaware that they would be satisfied with the bang a few grains of black powder in a clay and paper housing can produce. Even if very restricted, I think kids need to see/hear/feel-in-gut how powerful small amounts of some chemicals are.
Of course, some kids just never were smart enough to know better.

Rustopher.