TEMBEA : The origin of fire works

While awaiting the coming of the New Year, different people do different things to welcome it. Some people make lots of noise to show how excited they are about coming this far up to the end of the year, as others wait for the very time to see fireworks in the sky. Fire works light up the sky with colourful lights on the skies of China. It is believed that the legend of fireworks originated from the Chinese civilization.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

While awaiting the coming of the New Year, different people do different things to welcome it. Some people make lots of noise to show how excited they are about coming this far up to the end of the year, as others wait for the very time to see fireworks in the sky.

Fire works light up the sky with colourful lights on the skies of China. It is believed that the legend of fireworks originated from the Chinese civilization.

It is said that one night a chef in the Chinese army mixed three common kitchen ingredients salt pepper, sulphur and charcoal. He dropped these in fire inadvertently and they produced a colourful flame.

The chef got so excited that he tried doing the same thing in a closed shoot and it resulted into an enormous explosion. Thus the basic fire cracker was born.

Initially Chinese fireworks were used for fun. Gradually people started using the sound as a way of warding off evil. Ancient Chinese fire works were displayed at weddings, religious ceremonies and victory celebrations.

The Chinese celebrate the invention of fire works on the 18th of April and they even offer sacrifices to it. The knowledge of the Chinese fireworks travelled far and wide. The Arabs learned about it from the Chinese in the middle of the 13th century and they called it the Chinese snow.

The first Europeans to use gun powder to manufacture fireworks were Italians. Germany became the first leader in fireworks among the European nations in the 18th century along with Italy.

Italians were credited for developing aerial shells that could be launched upwards thereby lighting up the night sky into a rainbow of colours.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 fire works gained a lot of popularity. William Shakespeare one time said that the Queen was so fascinated by the fireworks that she created a position of ‘Fireworks man of England’.

Fireworks were first introduced in the United States in the 1500s they were used in wars and as a major way of entertainment during events.

Today fireworks are used to show happiness and joy at occasions that need people to celebrate some accomplishments in their lives.

On the New-Years Eve people are overwhelmed about completing the year alive and so they celebrate with fireworks.

Laura2jos@yahoo.com