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History of Fireworks - A Continuing Tradition

Fireworks begin in China in the 7th century. As the story goes a cook mistakenly mixed the wrong ingredients together and created the first explosion of fireworks. You have to wonder exactly what he was trying to cook that required these types of ingredients!

At one time it was believed that the sound of the fireworks or firecrackers scared away evil spirits. Thus the tradition of starting the New Year with fireworks so the bad energy was chased away leaving only the good for the new year.

Another version of the story is that bamboo was thrown on a fire and since it holds sap and air in pockets it expanded and eventually exploded. A monk later discovered he could put gunpowder in bamboo shoots to make the explosion.

Either way, most agree that fireworks got their start in China as did gunpowder. China still manufacturers and exports more fireworks than any other country.

The Italians are credited with turning fireworks into an art form. They developed canister shells that sent the fireworks into the air. Fireworks displays became popular at religions ceremonies and holidays but often it was only royalty viewing the displays.

Around the 1700s fireworks displays become popular as public displays in England.

In 1777 the first Fourth of July celebration in American featured fireworks. The states were still in the midst of the Revolutionary War so this was a time to renew patriotism and support for the newly formed America. This tradition has carried on and the Fourth of July is still the major event for fireworks displays in the United States.

Italy again enhanced the development of fireworks in the 1800s by creating a way to produce more colors in the displays. With the advancements in chemistry they were able to make red, greens, blues, and yellow.

Over the years fireworks displays have been used for many types of celebrations including national and religious events. A few of these include Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween, National Day in Singapore, Guy Fawkes in the U.K., Chinese New Year's, and numerous other festivals and parades.

In 2004 Disneyland started using compressed air for their fireworks displays instead of gunpowder. This reduced the smoke from the large displays. The explosions were also set by timers making it possible for them to be set to music. Disneyland and Disneyworld are the largest consumers of fireworks in the United States.

You can make your own history with fireworks this year. Host a 4th of July event that your friends and neighbors will never forget.

At Galaxy Fireworks we have a large variety of all types of fireworks for all occasions.

You can look over our inventory on your webpage at: http://www.galaxyfireworks.com

There are even videos where you can see how the products look when they're fired. You can print out your shopping list and bring it with you to one of our four Florida stores. We also have conveniently located tent locations during busy seasons.

Whether you're planning for July 4th, New Year's Eve, Halloween, a wedding, or family reunion, at Galaxy Fireworks we have what you need for your special celebration.