New Year's celebrations
Major cities around the world host a spectacular firework display on New Year's Eve. One of the first to be seen worldwide is the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks produced by Foti Fireworks and the City of Sydney.[5]
Although it is now customary to fire off fireworks on New Year's Eve, in the past the idea was to scare 'bad forces' so they would not enter the new year.[citation needed] The most popular fireworks are still those that go off with a big bang or with a bright flash.[citation needed]
In Western Europe, the sale of fireworks to the general public is usually restricted to a week before New Year's Eve. However this does not stop people from buying a large volume of fireworks in the weeks preceding New Year's Eve to be picked up during the selling days. Retail sales of fireworks in Europe differ from those of the US because of weight limits on the amount of powder which may be stored in a building.
Bastille Day
Many cities of the world celebrate Bastille Day with fireworks.
Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain (AKA Bonfire Night)
In 1605 Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators attempted to blow up the Parliament of England while the King was inside. Fawkes placed 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellars of Westminster Hall. On 5 November, Fawkes was arrested and Parliament was saved. That night is now celebrated, both in the United Kingdom and in former British colonies such as South Africa and New Zealand, as Guy Fawkes Night or bonfire night by filling the sky with exploding fireworks and by burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes on a bonfire.
- Remember, remember the fifth of November.
- Gunpowder, treason, and plot.
- I see no reason why gunpowder treason
- Should ever be forgot.
- – a children's rhyme about the events, still spoken today
The towns of Lewes and Llangybi are famous for their annual Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. Local groups called 'bonfire societies' conduct torch-lit marches around the town, vying with each other for the best fancy-dress outfits and typical celebrity figures that are later burnt. Examples of recent figures include the Pope, Margaret Thatcher, George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden.
The largest annual fireworks display in the UK is held in early September in Edinburgh. Since 1981, the world's largest arts festival has ended each year with a combination of live open-air orchestral pieces (performed in the Ross Band Stand, Princes Street Gardens) and a collection of fireworks launched from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle immediately behind. The Princes Street area provides a natural amphitheatre for enjoying the music and fireworks.
This event was re-enacted in V for Vendetta along with the children's rhyme.
Thrissur Pooram fireworks, India
Thrissur Pooram is one of the most colourful and spectacular temple festivals of Kerala, India. Displays include fireworks, a parasol exchange competition and an elephant procession accompanied by percussion ensemble.
The fireworks display is held in the late hours of the day[verification needed] after the Pooram. The Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswams present many innovative patterns and varieties of fireworks. This famous and mighty exhibit of fireworks adds to the popularity of the Pooram festival.
Thrissur Pooram, the mother of all temple festivals in the state, is essentially one of spectacles. The two devaswams&emdash;Thiruvampadi and Paramekkavu&emdash;explore and exploit every source at their command to make this annual festival a memorable one.
The firework shows at the Nemmara Vela in Palakkad district and Sri. Kottaram Bhagavathy temple, Maradu in Ernakulam district are the other major firework shows of Kerala.
U.S. Independence Day
"It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." - John Adams to Abigail Adams, Philadelphia July 3d. 1776
Each year before the American Independence Day (July 4th) retailers across the nation experience a surge in fireworks sales.[citation needed]Independence Day is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from theKingdom of Great Britain.
Independence Day is commonly associated with parades, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history and traditions of the U.S. Fireworks have been associated with the Independence since 1777.
In many states, consumer fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Concerns about safety have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed, but illicit traffic from less restrictive border states is common.[citation needed]
Some of the most famous fireworks displays include Macy's 4th of July Fireworks in New York (the largest in the country), Houston, and the Boston display on the Charles River esplanade. There are also displays in Nashville (riverfront), Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario jointly host one of the largest fireworks displays in the world over the Detroit River each year in celebration of both American Independence Day and Canada Day during the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival.
Victoria Day (Canada)
Victoria Day is the official celebration in Canada of the birthdays of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. It is a federal holiday celebrated annually on the Monday before or on May 24th. Along with Canada Day, it is one of only two holidays (in most municipalities) where the Canadian public can purchase and ignite fireworks.
Canada Day
Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is a federal holiday celebrated on July 1 marking the establishment of Canada as a Dominion on July 1, 1867. It is observed by all provincial governments and most businesses across the country. The celebration typically includes fireworks.
Thunder Over Louisville
This event is the kick-off for the two week long Kentucky Derby Festival and is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the largest annual fireworks display in North America. The event lasts throughout the day and includes an extensive airshow. The fireworks show itself lasts for around half an hour, along with a synchronized soundtrack through PA and radio. Several hundred thousand people attend each year, lining the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville and across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Clarksville, Indiana. Some also watch from the river on boats docked in positions auctioned off for charity.[1] Eight 400-foot (120 m) barges launch the fireworks, provided by Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, from both sides of theGeorge Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (Second Street Bridge), and more fireworks are launched from the bridge itself. In the event's first year, 1990, only 4000 shells were used. By 1996, 4000 shells were fired within the event's first minute. In 2007, the crowd for the event was estimated at 800,000 people.
Diwali ('Festival of Lights') in India
Diwali is the most popular festival of India, which broadly celebrates the triumph of good over evil primarily symbolized in the epic of Ramayana in which the Hindu God Rama defeats his demonic adversary Ravana. Customary traditions include offering prayers to the Gods in the morning and exchanging sweets with friends and neighbors. During the night, the houses are adorned with small, lit oil lamps and colorful lights and then the entire family participates in the display of fireworks.
The South India especially Tamil Nadu have the fame of dramatic and glory in celebrating with firework displays. Fireworks display brighten the skies and varieties flow every year. The City Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu is the Hub of fireworks production in the country and also the leading producers in the world and dominate the exports to the rest of the globe. Sivakasi attracts around its outskirts by its displays during the festival and its a feast to watch. And there is no doubt about the celebration carried out in the city of Sivakasi. Its a great pride.
Unlike Western nations, retail of fireworks is largely unrestricted in India. People have access to a variety of fireworks and most of them in urban areas set them off on the public roads running in front of their houses. In smaller towns, the large temples of the town typically have public fireworks displays. Deepavali brings the spirit of goodwill and brotherhood and is celebrated across all religions in India. Some popular fireworks include the famous 'phooljhari' or 'sparkler' which is commonly used in lighting most other fireworks. The 'Anaar' or 'Flowerpetal'or 'Flowerpot' displays as a large mountain of fire when lit. The 'Zameen Chakra' is a spinning circle of fire with sparks emitting from it. The 'rocket' is popular but dangerous, as it can change its course and fly into buildings. Bombs like 'Chilli Bombs' and 'Laxmi bombs' are becoming popular, but are sometimes disturbing due to their high intensity.
Maltese Petards
In Malta, local patron saints' holidays are usually celebrated with spectacular fireworks and bombs called petards or murtali in Maltese. Petardry is a popular hobby and a traditional skill in Malta, and Maltese fireworks are usually homemade. Manufacture is often high-risk,[6] but the final results are extravagant.
In the opinion of many fireworks artists[citation needed], Malta is one of the best places in the world for the manufacture of fireworks. The 'Malta International Fireworks Festival', held annually at the end of April in the Valletta Grand Harbour, is a fireworks competition open to all pyrotechnic manufacturers of the world. The event began in 2003 as just a festival to showcase Maltese talent. In 2006, the committee decided to retool it into a competition open to manufacturers worldwide. The first of these international fireworks competitions was contended by two foreign groups and three Maltese groups. The title was won by the St. Mary Fireworks Factory, of Mqabba, which won five of the seven honours, including the shield for the best display overall, with the remaining two honours being won by another Maltese competitor, St Michael's Fireworks of Lija. The great extent of Maltese talent, however, is most evident during summer and spring, during which many cities and villages celebrate the feasts of their patron saints and local artists produce their best fireworks. The Maltese take pride in their renown as one of the foremost in the pyrotechnic industry.
