Jingle Bells, Shotguns Shells, Yupik with a gun

Greetings Blog Fans,
It's a warm -45 this morning. I had an eventful evening yesterday that I know will interest you. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Slaviq (yupik spelling) started yesterday. Well, little did I know so much excitement would come as a result.
A little info on what happens. Groups go from house to house singing carols in Russian, visit a while, and get small gifts or candy from the host. Apparently there is also fireworks at the end of the night ( a little fact which no one happened to mention to me).
I was feeling kind of puny yesterday so I went to bed (for a nap) around 6:00 p.m. I woke up at around 11:55 p.m. (so much for a nap). I decided that, since I was up, I would have some hot chocolate. While I was drinking my hot chocolate, I heard some loud pops. I thought to myself, "Gee, where did they get fireworks?" I listened to the popping for a little while--it was WAY TOO COLD (around -50) to even thinking about going outside to see them. Occasionally I heard the pattering sound that you hear with fireworks. I finished my hot chocolate and went back to bed.
When I woke up this morning, my roommate asked if I heard the shotguns. Shotguns??? No, I told her, I heard fireworks. She said that there were fireworks but she heard shot guns too. Now, how does a girl from the city (her) recognize the sound of shotguns when I (a girl raised in the rural part of Alabama) thought they were fireworks. I thought she was just imagining things. Turns out that she was right.
When I got to school, I heard several people complaining about the shotguns. Man, I must be really naive to think it was all fireworks. Apparently, during the celebration, some people had out their shotguns---which everyone in the village owns---and were firing off shots of celebration and the pattering sound I heard was shot hitting the roof of my house. The people "celebrating" with their shotguns apparently had been shooting them up in the air within a couple of yards of my house (more specifically, right at the side of the Site Administrator's house). And then had moved a little farther along in the housing area and were shooting them in front of the special ed teachers' house.
Several people are going to file a complaint with our local VPO--village police officer. We don't really have any law enforcement in the village. Most people just behave or look the other way when someone else misbehaves. A complaint will have to be filed with the state troopers if there is any action to be taken.
I suggested to the site administrator that she speak with the priest in charge of Slaviq in hopes that he will speak to them about this before today's festivities begin.
I will let you know what happens.