Gunshots!?

This evening, I was chatting with my boyfriend on Skype when I was startled by gunshots! They were so close to the house, too; I was scared! Then, I realized that they were shooting two at a time 16 times, and that there was a weird "fzzzzzzzzzzzzzsht" sound after each shot. Hmmm.... maybe they're just fireworks! Even from the outdoor garden part of the house, it's difficult to see the sky due to the trees, and I saw nothing. Then, just now at around 10:30, I was again startled by the same sound but it sounded like it was coming from next door. The church bells were ringing and everything. Fingers in my ears, I braved stepping out into the garden and trying to peek over the walls. Sure enough, I saw some lights in the sky. Whew! Fireworks! Not guns! I'm sure glad I brought ear plugs, because this is becoming an hourly event! I wonder if this is part of Semana Santa. I'll have to ask Conny about that tomorrow.