Fireworks

Fireworks

Introduction The celebration began on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean. Then, as the Earth turned, midnight arrived in Sydney, Australia. Rings of fire exploded over the city's famous opera house. Firecrackers popped in Hong Kong. Skyrockets flew over Bombay, the Egyptian pyramids, and Moscow. The Eiffel Tower shot bright sparks from its top like foam from a champagne bottle. Mexico City and Chicago were lit red, gold, and green. All around the world, fireworks welcomed the year 2000.

Fireworks combine science and art to create some of the most beautiful displays ever seen. The making and launching of fireworks is called pyrotechnics(PIE-roe-TECK-nicks). In most cases, this dangerous craft is still performed by hand. Families pass down secret fireworks-making skills and formulas from generation to generation.

History of Fireworks No one is sure when fireworks first shot into the sky. But we do know that it happened in China over 1, 000 years ago. Legend says that a Chinese cook accidentally created gunpowder by mixing ingredients in his kitchen.

The Chinese packed this explosive black powder into bamboo or paper tubes. The powder shot fire out of the tubes, much like Roman candles do today. Someone discovered that if a wooden carving was placed on top of the gunpowder, the carving would shoot into the sky. One carving of a dragon even had gunpowder in its mouth. The dragon seemed to spray fire as it flew.

The secret of gunpowder passed to Arabs and then on to Europe. But it was mostly used in weapons to fire cannons and guns. Often, armies shot their cannons to celebrate a victory. Different countries began mixing certain chemicals with the gunpowder to create brighter flashes, louder bangs, and color. The Italians soon became famous for their colorful displays. The Grucci family, now living in the United States, continues the Italian tradition of fireworks mastery.