Blog No 32 A Brief History of Fireworks
July 4, 2023
The earliest firecrackers date back to China in the 2nd century BCE when bamboo stalks were placed on a fire to keep evil spirits away. The heated stalks exploded with a popping sound and led to the development of firecrackers. During the Tang Dynasty, 600-900 CE, Chinese alchemists discovered the first crude gunpowder by accidentally mixing sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate in their effort to discover the elixir of immortality. (Actually, what they discovered was quite the opposite.) They stuffed this powdered mixture into bamboo stalks and invented the first fireworks. China currently produces an estimated 85% of the fireworks used around the world. The knowledge of how to make gunpowder spread along the Silk Road westward, and in the 1830s Italian chemists added metallic salts to the mixture and invented the multi-colored fireworks we see today.
Worldwide, the most extensive display of fireworks occurs at the celebration of New Year. The Chinese New Year falls between January 21 and February 20 and is based on the lunar calendar. (The lunar calendar is a bit too complex for the average Western mind.) The method by which nations around the world arrive at their New Year is incredibly varied, although the majority base their New Year on the Gregorian calendar as we do. Americans celebrate many events with fireworks, but the primary one is Independence Day, and this has been true since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
I have had an aversion to firecrackers since age 5 when I picked up a dud lying on our lawn and it exploded in my face. The danger associated with our widespread use of fireworks is vastly underestimated. An estimated 13,000 people were injured in the US last year. The most common injuries are burns of the hands and fingers, injuries of the head, face and ears, and even losing an eye can occur.
On December 31, 2024, six people were killed in Honolulu, when fireworks were lit on a driveway and tipped over, igniting an extensive collection of fireworks stored inside the garage through the open garage door.
All photos taken by author
July 4, 2022
July 4, 2022
July 4, 2022
July 4, 2022
July 4, 2026 (from the rooftop of our apt)
July 4, 2026 (from the rooftop of our apt)
