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History of Fireworks

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:09:00 +0000

History of Fireworks

The history of fireworks dates back to nearly two thousand years. A cook in China is generally supposed to have discovered fireworks accidentally when he mixed three ingredients that were commonly used in the kitchen in those days, namely sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (salt peter). When these three ingredients were dried and lighted, the mixture was found to ignite. When this mixture was packed into a closed bamboo tube and lit, it built up an enormous pressure and exploded. The Chinese gave this the name ‘huo yao”, which literally means fire chemical. There are other theories about the origin of fireworks that suggest that it might have been of a more recent origin, dating back to a little over 1000 years, and invented by a Chinese monk who lived in the Hunan province in China. In any case, it is generally accepted that the Chinese invented fireworks more than at least one thousand years ago.

Celebrating with fireworks

Fireworks were initially used during religious ceremonies, celebrations such as birthdays, and other special occasions, as indeed they are till today. The reason for using fireworks in religious functions and celebrations seems to lie in the belief that the loud bang created by fireworks had the capacity to frighten away evil spirits.

As time passed it was but natural that someone should see the potential of this explosive substance in warfare. It is said that the Chinese themselves were aware of this soon after they discovered fireworks and used it to develop weapons such as fire arrows that had a great effect on their enemies.

Fireworks in Warfare

It is believed that fireworks were brought to the west by Marco Polo, who was a frequent visitor to China, and European crusaders in the Middle East. The potential of these chemicals for causing destruction did not escape the early scholars in the West, but it was almost another 300 years before scientists could work out the exact formula that could become lethal, and cause a sufficiently strong explosion. They discovered that a mixture of Salt Peter, Charcoal, and Sulphur in the proportion of 75%, 15% and 10% respectively produced the desired results, and graduated to employing gunpowder in warfare using these proportions, which incidentally are valid even today.

The use of gunpowder revolutionized warfare disarming most invincible defences of the day. Thus canons and guns made armours and fort walls susceptible to being broken down and penetrated.

Fireworks as an art form

Although military uses of gunpowder did revolutionize warfare, the recreational and artistic aspects of fireworks did not lose their sheen. Fireworks are as popular the world over today as a means of celebration as they were in the earlier days of their history. The Italians have played a great part in developing fireworks into a truly art form. Italians developed new applications that could provide a variety of visual delights. Some of the products that the Italians developed included aerial shells that could shoot up into the air and explode or burst into a fountain of colours at a great height. They also developed a number of fireworks that operated at the ground level. They discovered a powder that burnt more slowly and gave out sparks of different colons when contained in an open-ended tube. More elaborate forms were developed using rocket engines that made them to rotate and give off circular sparks of different colours. As the art form developed, the industry employed specialists and professionals from other fields such as masons, carpenters and painters. The Germans are also credited with having contributed to the development of fireworks. The American fireworks industry is dominated by these groups.

Fireworks also became popular in England and enjoyed royal support in many cases. The eighteenth century saw fireworks become a matter of public displays in England rather than for the private pleasure of Royalty alone. The English can be credited with popularising fireworks as huge crowds from all over Europe were attracted to fireworks displays at amusement parks in England.

China has continued to dominate the fireworks production scene in the world with its Hunan and Jiangxi provinces accounting for a major share of the world trade in fireworks. Earlier these were channelled through state owned marketing corporations that sold to the world through intermediaries in Hong Kong. With the opening up of the Chinese economy, direct trade has taken over in most cases.

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Fireworks and Its History and Events

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:56:00 +0000

Fireworks – Its History and Events

Fireworks are popularly used to celebrate events, for example, fireworks for weddings, fireworks for schools, Independence Day and other similar events to make the day more special and memorable. But are you aware of the fact that these bright lights that make our events special are the invention of the Chinese some 2000 years ago? There are many legends prevalent in China that differ as to who actually invented these bright fireworks. One such interesting story is that these were the accidental invention of a Chinese cook! Legend has it that this cook, while working in a field kitchen, burned charcoal, saltpeter and sulphur together and this mixture when compressed into a bamboo tube led to a loud explosion. Today we know the powder resulting from the mixing of the three ingredients as gun powder. However, there are some people who feel that the present day firecrackers were invented by a Chinese Monk called Li Tian some 1000 years ago. Since then the Chinese have used fireworks for all events, good or bad, for weddings, births, deaths. They believe that these fireworks will ward off evil spirits and bring in prosperity. Using fireworks for school events is a recent phenomenon but there are many dos and don'ts regarding such usage.

Advent of Fireworks in Europe and the United States

There is a debate as to who originally introduced fireworks to Europe, was it Marco Polo or the European Crusaders? It is believed that Marco Polo brought the gun powder to the Middle East and the European Crusaders brought it from the Middle East to present day Europe. In Europe the first use of gunpowder was in canons and guns and it was much later that the Italians used it to make the present day fireworks. It was the Italians that added color to the original fireworks and set the stage for the present day fireworks displays that brighten up all important events. After the Italians, came the Germans in the 18th century. Later the English and the Americans started using fireworks to celebrate and commemorate the various events in their lives. Ever since its introduction, fireworks have been used time and again to commemorate important events in our lives. Fireworks essentially fall into two main categories, consumer fireworks and display fireworks. The former is used at home to celebrate important events in our lives and includes sparklers, skyrockets, aerial shells, snakes, firecracker packs etc., while the latter is used mainly for public displays and professional purposes and requires an ATF license or permit. These include a wide variety of display shells, multiple tube fountains, multi tube devices, salutes, aerial shells etc.

Fireworks Events across the Globe

Ever since its advent in the modern day world, fireworks have been used to celebrate various events across the Globe. These events include the Guy Fawkes Day celebrated in Great Britain, U.S. Independence Day, Canada Day, Diwali and Thrissur Puram in India, Halloween, Chinese New Year celebrations, Singapore and the Japanese Fireworks Festival, among others. Along with these events, there are major fireworks competitions organized across the world that stage beautiful fireworks displays that are adjudged and awarded. In these competitions, leading fireworks display companies from all parts of the world participate and showcase their fireworks displays.

Fireworks are increasingly used today to celebrate events like weddings, birthdays or mini bonfires being celebrated at homes and schools. Given the popularity of fireworks, more and more schools are allowing fireworks displays within school premises during bonfires and special events like Independence Day. There are many fireworks companies that showcase or display fireworks for weddings and fireworks for schools. Given this modern day trend, the lawmakers and fireworks safety regulators have laid down many rules and regulations that need be followed while using fireworks in the midst of children. Similarly while buying fireworks you should first assess whether fireworks are legally allowed in your area and then buy them from a registered retailer. Also you should ensure that you have understood the method in which the firework is to be lighted before you buy them, otherwise it could cause problems. Lastly you should ensure that you have maximum open space to enjoy the bright lights without causing harm to your surroundings.

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