5 Facts Related To Fireworks You Should Know

Remember how KungFu Panda 2 brought Fireworks back to our mind?! They used to be cool back in the 1990’s, but then we got tired of loud noises. But in honour of Master Shifu, we decided to share some fun facts about fireworks to keep the Zen going!

1. Chinese and Fireworks

While the fireworks were invented in Ancient China, they were not created to bring light and joy to the people. The fireworks were created to scare off mountain men from your valley. The tradition evolved in the later centuries to including scaring off evil spirits and any other bigfoot resembling creatures away from the main village.

2. Fireworks Disposal

Fireworks cannot be recycled because they blow up into several pieces and become hollow. But it does not mean you should throw them in the dustbin either. You should soak them in water and keep them in water for 24- 48 hours. This will dissolve and disarm any residual explosive materials left in the fireworks and make them safe to throw away. If that sounds like too much hassle, give fireworks to the waste disposal department in your area to ensure that they are correctly disposed of.

3. Fireworks and Colour

China was not the one to give a decorative flair to the fireworks. The fireworks were turned decorative and festive in Italy. Italians tried the fireworks with various metallic powders in 1830 and realized that when mixed with multiple metallic powders, the fireworks gave off the variety of colours. So calcium powder would make the fireworks orange and sodium made it yellow. The process got more complicated with the multiple colours, but the idea kept developing with time.

4. Fireworks and Immortality

There is a misconception that fireworks came after the invention. We think that we learned how to blow things up and then became fond of the bang. That is not true. As we said earlier, they were developed as a means of scaring away attackers in China. Chinese alchemists were aiming to make the potion of immortality in between 600 and 900AD. They mixed Potassium Nitrate, charcoal, sulphur and some other ingredients, hoping they will get immortality. The product was combustible and was developed in the coming centuries as a weapon by tying the material to a bow and lighting it up before shooting.

5. The Combination

Your basic firework has three ingredients. It needs an oxidizer, a fuel, and a chemical mixture. These three elements come together, and all you need is a match to make a bang! These three ingredients have been simplified over the centuries in the development of advanced weaponry. Fireworks hop would have a complex apparatus in the beginning as no one knew what would work. But with time and numerous wars, alchemists reduced the list to three key ingredients.

We hope you like our list of fun facts and found them interesting. Fireworks shop have been around since ancient times and have a rich history!