NATCHEZ — The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is like a scavenger hunt for Paul and Candace Martin.

The couple, along with their two sons, Chandler, 7, and Brent, 4, hop from firework stand to firework stand looking for the biggest fireworks they can find.

Candace said the firework tradition started during her childhood and has continued with the younger generation in her family.

“I shot them off when I was a kid and then we started it with my niece before my kids were born,” she said. “It’s just something we do every year,” she said.

And she said purchasing and shooting fireworks isn’t even up for discussion from year-to-year.

“They’d get too mad if we didn’t,” she said.

Unlike some families, the Martin’s won’t wait until New Year’s Eve to light up the skies, most of the fireworks they purchased Saturday will be gone before today.

Chandler migrated to a far corner of the stand to scope out the extensive collection of the larger fireworks. He was on the hunt for the same massive firework he shot off last year.

And though he didn’t find an exact match, he was able to pick out an acceptable replacement.

“I like this one,” he said pointing at a large square firework with a growling bulldog on the packaging.

“It will wake up the whole neighborhood,” he said.

His younger brother, Brent, is drawn more to the smaller, less explosive fireworks.

“I like the poppers,” Brent said.

After Christmas shopping and purchasing birthday presents, Candace said she hoped to stick to somewhat of a budget when purchasing the families assortment of bottle rockets, sparklers and exploding rockets.

“I hope to spend about $100 this year,” she said as Chandler slipped another package of red firecrackers into the family’s basket.

“They’ll just grab anything,” Paul said of his sons’ shopping habits.