Firecrackers...

What is the meaning of playing firecrakers?  For Chinese, it was a trandition to scare of monster during CNY.  But now, you can hear firecraker sound in any festivals.  Somehow it begins to lost its meaning.  The funniest phenomenon happening now is that I can barely hear any firecrakers during CNY nowadays, but it's everywhere in those non-chinese new year eve.  Well, I don't mean to offend non-chinese.  But this is what is happening now.  A few days ago, I was frighten and awaken by the firecrakers in the middle of the night when everyone was having their sweet sweet dreams.  Well, I was mad that night.  Then I begin to wonder after 50 years...100 years, can our new new generations still remember what is the true meaning of playing friecrakers during CNY?