Fireworks have a very long history. The first recorded use in China was some 1,100 years ago. However, it is believed that they were actually developed well over 2,000 years ago. Indeed, fireworks have been around longer than Jesus. Hasan al-Rammah found knowledge of gunpowder from the Chinese and brought fireworks to Syria and the rest of the Arab world in 1240. In essence, he was the first to buy fireworks.
Fireworks in England
King Henry VII was the first to bring fireworks to England, which was in 1486, over 200 years after it became popular in the Far East.
In the United Kingdom, fireworks are used every year to celebrate the foiled gun plot by Guy Fawkes. On the 5th of November 1605, he tried to blow up the House of Parliament and King James I with it. Although the celebration is officially to commemorate that he was unable to bring his plan to fruition, most people now celebrate that he at least tried, making Guy Fawkes a national hero some 400 years after he was executed for treason. It is at bonfire night that most people in the UK buy fireworks.
Queen Elizabeth was another monarch who truly enjoyed fireworks. During her reign, she appointed a Master of Fireworks, who was the person who could make the best fireworks.
The United Kingdom still loves its fireworks, with the biggest display in Europe taking place in Edinburgh every year. During the International Festival concert, a million fireworks are set off in just an hour.
England also holds the record for the largest amount of rockets launched simultaneously. Roy Lowry, a scientist, set off 56,000 rockets in Plymouth for the UK Fireworks Championship.
Why Fireworks Were Originally Used
The intention of fireworks was not so much to celebrate festivities. All festivities we know have a cultural background and usually this background is to ward off some sort of evil spirit and please good spirits. Fireworks were supposed to scare the bad spirits.
Fireworks have been around for a long time and they are a favourite accompaniment to many events across the world. In fact, people buy fireworks as soon as they can, to the point that fireworks can often only be sold at set periods of time.
