When I think of fireworks, I think of The Star Spangled Banner: “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air…”
But fireworks have been around a whole lot longer than the United State of America has. Fireworks originally came from ancient Liuyang, China, in the second century BC. The first fireworks were bamboo stalks that exploded when thrown into fire because of their hollow air pockets. The Chinese believed that these “fireworks” would ward off evil spirits.
Legend has it that somewhere between 600 and 900 AD, a Chinese alchemist mixed potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, which produced a black flaky powder; this mixture created the first gunpowder. It was then poured into hollowed-out bamboo stalks (and later, into paper tubes) to produce the first man-made fireworks.
In the tenth century, The Chinese attached the fireworks to arrows, thus creating the first aerial displays.
Fireworks made their way to Europe in the 13th century. In England at that time, fireworks experts were called “firemasters” and their assistants “green men” because they wore caps made of leaves to protect then against sparks. By the 15th century, fireworks were being used for religious festivals and public entertainment. The Italians were the first Europeans to manufacture fireworks. Europeans rulers liked to illuminate their castles with fireworks on important occasions.
The first recorded display of fireworks in Great Britain occurred at Henry VII’s wedding in 1486.
Early settlers in the United States brought fireworks to the New World. Captain John Smith may have set off the first fireworks in 1608 in the Jamestown Colony.
In the 1830s an important addition was made to fireworks: trace amounts of metal were added to create multicolor displays.
And of course, back in 1776, fireworks were part of the first American Independence Day. And the tradition continues on. Of course, the United States is far from the only country to use fireworks on holidays.The French set off fireworks for Bastille Day, ten days after our Independence Day. Hungary sets off fireworks on August 20.
Here are some fun facts about fireworks:
- The Walt Disney Company is the largest consumer of fireworks in the United States.
- Blue is the most difficult color to produce in fireworks.
- New Castle, Pennsylvania, is known as the fireworks capital of the world, as it is home to both Zambelli Fireworks and Pyrotechnico.
- The biggest shell available to the consumer fireworks market is 3 inches.
- Professional aerial shells range from 3 inches to over 24 inches in diameter. Most are between 6 and 12 inches.
- The largest ever display of fireworks was in the Philippines for their 2016 New Year celebration, with 810,904 fireworks.
- 404.5 million pounds of fireworks were set off in 2020 (which seems odd to me, since there was a worldwide pandemic).
- Massachusetts (my home state) is the only state that bans the sale of all consumer fireworks.
- Ten thousand people were injured badly enough by fireworks to require emergency treatment in 2019.
- The Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show is the largest in the United States.
Happy 4th!
When we moved to the Washington, D.C. metroplex we chose to live in a highrise apartment in Crystal City since it was a 5 minute walk to my husband’s place of work and for me, maybe a 7 minute walk farther north along the Underground to the Metro. (I worked in Friendship Heights, just across the street and up 3 blocks to the building I worked in. (I had the pleasure and privilege to spend the years of my career as a pediatric nurse, but working for a group of pediatricians was a bit different. And fun . . . but I digress. We lived in a large apartment on the 15th floor of the building, but on the backside of the building. The south side. Hm-m. So how to see the fireworks on the National Mall? But on the evening of July 4th the door to the roof was open, and it was more or less right next door to me. (My husband was out of the country during the 4th that year.) So I hiked up the stairs with my folding chair and took a portable radio along, as had several others, and listened to the really great music and watched the really magnificent fireworks display from the roof sans the thousands and thousands of people watching down on the Mall. The following several years we were there we never missed it. To listen to the 1812 Overture while the final fireworks were set off was something I’ll never forget. So every year on the Fourth, since then, I’ve awakened my husband with the 1812 Overture finale followed by The Star Spangled Banner and several other Sousa marches. I usually also add It’s A Grand Old Flag along with the rest. Needless to say, I’m a patriot of this great nation. Which is probably a good thing. I spent 26 years of my life following my wonderful husband from duty station to duty station all over the country. He was a U.S. Navy officer.
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We lived in California, too. Three different places. I loved living there–and couldn’t wait to leave. One of my nurse managers said to me, “as goes California, so goes the nation.” BALONEY. I’ve actually been there, done that, and know more than a little about every region in the country. They’re all different and all unique–and breathtakingly magnificent. I grew up in central New Mexico across the Rio Grande valley from the Sandia Mountains. The sun rising over the mountains would take your breath away–as would the glorious sunsets. As would the sunsets over the Monterey Bay. Yet I was born in Oklahoma. I’ve seen every mountain range in America from the north to the south (and one of them that runs from the east to the west!), I’ve seen the Alaska tundra, Great Plains and the prairies of the northern states. I’ve dipped my fingertips and/or my toes in every single body of waters that washes our shores, including the Gulf of California and the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Talk about a wonderful country. If you don’t like one place there are 49 others to take a look at. Wow. New England in autumn can’t be compared. (I was pretty fond of it when the snows began to fall, too.) One thing that can be said of the United States is that it’s a wondrous, magnificent place–with pretty nice people inhabiting it, by and large!
Cate- Thank you so much for the comment! I grew up in the Boston area, and every year I would go to the Esplanade to hear the famous Boston Pops play. People started staking out their spots on the lawn days before. I usually went in the late morning, although the Pops didn’t begin until about 8 p.m. It was wonderful to be there, especially for the Bicentennial. Around 9:30 or so the Pops would begin the 1812 Overture and then the fireworks — and real cannons — it was a highlight of the year! Then, when I lived in California, I saw fireworks off and on in a variety of places, but one stands out. A friend had a son with an apartment in San Francisco. People went up on the roof to watch the fireworks. He wasn’t there and gave us use of the apartment. We were up on the roof and could see three different locations in the San Francisco area shooting off fireworks — COMPLETELY SYNCRONATED TO THE MILLISECOND! Seeing three separate displays that were identical was incredible! Now I am in Florida. I went to a Canada Day party yesterday. My son-in-law is Canadian. I met some of their incredible friends, some I already knew. A couple of neighbor families were there. There were two middle aged adults, who didn’t vote and were not vaccinated. I left the area when a political conversation began. I left nearly in tears and still feel like crying because I so detect those selfish, stupid people. They may make up only 15 or 20% of the population (hopefully), but they are destroying this democracy. I am staying in this 4th. I am feeling sad about us. Those people invited me over (a stranger) for their 4th cookout. I don’t think they deserve this country or this holiday. They are not worth my time to even talk to. I am not ashamed to feel this way, although I know people disagree with me. There are people who for health reasons cannot get vaccinated, and selfish imbeciles go around socializing without masks (no masks were in sight), not telling people that they could be carrying a fatal disease. Argh!
I got to see the Bicentenial Fireworks in Boston, howbeit, only on T.V. My husband was in Winsor Locks, CT and I was in our new house in Austin, TX. ??? The Navy–in Austin? Yes . . .. He was stationed at the University of Texas for a while. Anyway, it was a hot, humid summer night, but I listened to the 1812 Overture while those cannons boomed. I know the music wasn’t written for Americans, but we certainly adopted it. We had our own victory to celebrate that same year when our flag still hung over Ft. McHenry after the British had bombarded the fort all through the night.
It’s hard to believe some people can be so shallow and really hateful toward others, especially newcomers whom they’ve invited to participate in a cookout with them. I lost a friend two days before last Thanksgiving for much the same reason. I walked out on her and have never again communicated with her. There are a few things I will not be harangued about, and one of them is my political beliefs. Ditto with my religious beliefs. I could not care less what others believe, but I’m an independent thinker in the USA. It’s my god-given right. I won’t rant at them for their beliefs, nor will I tolerate the same offense toward me. So I simply walk away and never look back. It is the only way to cope in a difficult world such as we’re crurrently undergoing. Hopefully we’ll be able to look back at these times and heave sighs of relief. And to perdition to the others who are so short-sighted! Hang in there, lady. Believe me, I feel for what you underwent.
Thanks for the comment, Cate! I will never forget the significance of being there at the Bicentennial. I think I went by myself, and I remember the friend I ran into, who coincidentally, now lives in San Francisco (even though I don’t anymore!). I am fortunate to have met some wonderful Democratic women where I now live — in a sea of red — through volunteering at the polls last November. I now belong to a couple of groups where I know the people are of like mind. I don’t bother with the rest of them here.
Here in California we pray for rain instead of shooting off fireworks
Or at least for enough humidity to keep the wildfires at bay
Happy 4th
I hope California gets the rain it needs. I lived there until September 2019 and love it. Personally, I agree with Massachusetts, which sells no consumer fireworks. Here in Florida — well, you know Florida.