The first fireworks were probably made in China, around 2,000 years ago. Chinese crackers, as they are known, are still used in China today to celebrate weddings, births and religious festivals - and to scare away evil spirits!

Fireworks were used for centuries in ancient Indian and Thai religious ceremonies. Some of the rockets were 8-10 feet long and were attached to bamboo sticks that were 40 feet high.

The first recorded fireworks in England were at the wedding of King Henry VII in 1486. They gained popularity during the reign of Henry VIII and by Elizabethan times (1558-1603) there was a fireworks master. Queen Elizabeth I created this post so that someone would be in charge of organising firework displays for great occasions. James II even knighted his fireworks master after a particularly excellent show of fireworks at his coronation.

Other interesting facts about Fireworks

• The word for firework in Japanese, 'hanabi', means 'fire-flower'.
• Half of all firework accidents happen to children under the age of 16.
• The first fireworks recorded in America were set off by an Englishman, Captain John Smith, famous in the story of Pocahontas.

• Three sparklers burning together generate the same heat as a blow-torch.
• The world's largest single firework was set off at a festival in Japan in 1988. The shell weighed over half a tonne and the burst was over a kilometre across.
• Throwing a firework in a street or public place is a criminal offence, with a maximum fine of 5000 pounds.

FireWork Safety

Fireworks can be great fun. Unfortunately, every year, people get hurt because they fool around with fireworks. Last year over 900 people required hospital treatment from accidents involving fireworks.
Make sure you’re not one of them by following these few simple rules.

Never play with fireworks - They are explosives and can hurt you.

Only adults should light or hold fireworks.

When you are watching fireworks stand well back.

Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.

Fireworks will frighten your pets, so keep your petsa safely indoors.

If you are given a sparkler:

Always wear gloves. Hold it at arm’s length. When your sparkler goes out, DON’T TOUCH IT. It could still burn you, so put it in a bucket of water.