Dear Crabby, Why do we shoot off Fireworks on July Fourth?

Dear Crabby, Why do we shoot off Fireworks on July Fourth?

Sincerely, Baozhu

 

Dear Bauzhu,

To celebrate our Independence from Britain, of course. But why fireworks to celebrate such a landmark world event?

Well, as with many things these days, it all started in China. The Han Dynasty would sizzle bamboo stalks until they exploded – that was around 200 B.C. Then, a few hundred years later, the Chinese started filling the bamboo stalks with gunpowder and adding metal shavings to produce a sparkle once it was lit on fire. It became a tradition for New Year festivals and weddings. And those pyrotechnic pleasures spread around the world like a pandemic, and eventually came to the New World with the colonists.

So, when America told King George III to take a hike and we won our Independence with guns and cannons, it was only natural to celebrate with even more loud bangs! And hence forth, we shoot off fireworks every Fourth of July, as well as, just about any other large celebration or National Holiday.

Believe it or not, some people still shoot off guns in the air in addition to fireworks – DO NOT DO THIS – those bullets have to land somewhere! While we did that in the early days, it’s highly frowned upon now and usually illegal. Some large Independence Day celebrations, conducted by the feds at historic sites, will fire guns and cannons – again, please leave that action to the professionals. In fact, you should probably let the experts handle the fireworks as well instead of your 9-toed, 8-fingered, five cans short of a 6-pack (because he drank them) uncle who bought some roadside fireworks in Ohio on his way to Michigan.

READ: Dear Crabby, What are your Fourth of July Traditions?

But of course, as with many events in 2020, we have fewer choices this year to watch fireworks. That’s okay, plenty of neighbors will be shooting them off, scaring dogs, children, and old men like me – thankfully, I’m hard of hearing – but the poor critters are not.

I don’t care for the boom-boom noise, but I love America and I’ll live through it knowing we’re celebrating Freedom, Justice, and Liberty. While it’s not a perfect place, it’s the best place on Earth.

Sincerely, Dear Crabby

 

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