10 things you didn’t know about fireworks

When fireworks light up the sky with dots and dashes, flashes and blooms of colour and brilliant white brightness there is something mysterious at play. There are some interesting historical facts and details about fireworks that you probably didn’t know.

Here are a few lesser known facts about fireworks for you to consider next time you are craning your neck to catch the dazzling sky display.

1. The Chinese refer to the celebratory sky lightening demonstration as a “fire drug,” but the term is a Japanese word that means “fire flower.”
2. A giant chocolate firework went off in Zurich in 2002. It was created by Nestle and measured 3m high and 1.5m in diameter. When the firework exploded, it released 60kg of chocolates.
3. The first firework used in Britain was in 1486 during the wedding of King Henry VII.



4. Different chemicals added to the basic ingredients produce different colours and sounds. For instance, barium salts makes green while copper salts make blue iron filings create a gold flitter effect and potassium benzoate burns in a rapidly oscillating manor creating a whistle noise.
5. The world’s largest firework was fired over the city of Kounosu, Japan in 2014. The shell measured a whopping four foot in diameter and exploded into a breathtaking rosette 2,624 foot wide. The firework was the finale to a 15,000 shell display.
6. 90% of the world’s fireworks are made in China.
7. Firecracker makers wear only cotton clothing while creating the spectaculars. This is because the static electricity in synthetic clothes can set off a firecracker.
8. The Walt Disney Company is the largest consumer of fireworks in the world.
9. If fireworks show up in your dreams, it’s said to signal two possibilities. One, you are enthusiastic and exhilarating. Two, you like to be the centre of attention.
10. In Australia, only trained pyrotechnicians can legally use fireworks. In many other places, they are either banned or limited in acceptable use.



Now you know some things about fireworks that you can share between the oohs and aahs at the next incredible display.

See also: Our Guide to Different Types of Fireworks