Radiant Night Skies Heat Up 4th of July
Here at WarmlyYours Radiant Heating, we’re naturally drawn to anything hot. With that propensity, why wouldn’t we be attracted to the Fourth of July tradition of fireworks? As you get ready to celebrate the holiday, more patriotically known as Independence Day, here is some history, a few fun facts, and important safety tips for you.
Here are six fun facts about fireworks that you may not know.
- The largest firework rocket is 13kg and was produced and launched in Portugal in 2010.
- The word for firework in Japanese, “hanabi,” which actually means “fire-flower.”
- The record for the largest firework display consisted of 66,326 fireworks and was achieved in Portugal in 2006.
- At first fireworks were only orange and white. In the Middle Ages new colors were achieved by adding different salts. The hardest color to create is blue.
- China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world. 90% of all fireworks originate from here.
- Dreaming about fireworks means that you like to be the center of attention and are showing off to others. It also symbolizes enthusiasm and exhilaration.
For more fun facts, head to “25 Interesting Facts about Fireworks,” or read Bonfire Night: 15 fun facts about fireworks! ,” which is written from a British perspective. Did you know Bonfire Night (November 5) is celebrated in Britain to mark the night of Guy Fawkes’s gunpowder plot, a failed assassination attempt at the Houses of Parliament by a group of provincial English Catholics back in 1605 against King James I of England?
Fireworks, no matter how fun, do need a healthy amount of respect. Sparklers alone, which are often not viewed as cautiously as full-fledged fireworks, burn at a temperature more than 15 times the boiling point of water. Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blowtorch!
Sadly, the 2012 Annual Fireworks Report, released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in June 2013, showed six fireworks-related deaths in 2012 and 8,700 injuries treated by U.S. hospitals in the same year.
Parents should note the 30 percent of the 2012 injuries were in children under the age of 15.
Misuse is the leading cause of injury according to the CPSC’s investigation. Top forms of misuse included holding fireworks in the hand, lighting fireworks improperly, playing with used fireworks, igniting fireworks too close to someone, setting fireworks improperly, and playing with lit fireworks. Other leading causes of injuries were debris associated with eye irritations and errant flight paths.
Always exercise good judgment and caution when around fireworks. The CPSC offers a great resource for fireworks safety. Find it here.
Researching the history of fireworks is a fascinating journey through time. The bold, sophisticated fireworks displays that will blanket the country on the Fourth of July have evolved from bamboo thrown into a fire. The Chinese “discovered” firecrackers around 200 B.C. When they roasted bamboo, it would explode at times with a firecracker-like bang when heated if the piece of bamboo happened to have hollow air pocket. From there Chinese alchemists, diplomats, explorers, Franciscan missionaries, Western scientists, metallurgists and military leaders have all helped advance the technology to what it is today, a grand spectacle that can defy the imagination. In 2014, Dubai broke the record for the most fireworks ignited during a single coordinated display, using 500,000 fireworks incorporated into its top landmarks, including Palm Jumeirah, World Islands, the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab. The display lasted around six minutes. Can you imagine what the 200 B.C. Chinese would have thought?
Here at WarmlyYours, we don’t take Independence Day for granted. It is a privilege to celebrate this holiday, which marks the birth of a country founded on freedom and justice for all.Enjoy the fireworks, and take a moment to appreciate all the sacrifices and strength that have contributed to the holiday. Also, share your holiday celebrations! Comment on the WarmlyYours Facebook page or tweet us at @WarmlyYours. Happy Independence Day to you and yours!