Fireworks

You may be surprised to learn that originally the firecracker was not used as dynamite. A jointed bamboo stick, when it is on fire, explodes because the air heats up between the joints of bamboo. This causes an explosion, and it was because of loud bang that the fireworks were used to scare off evil spirits. Particularly an evil spirit called Nian, who they believed to eat crops and people. After that, it became customary for them to throw green bamboo onto a fire during the Lunar New Year in order to scare Nian and other spirits far way, thus ensuring happiness and prosperity to their people for the remainder of the year. Bamboo became a popular sight at weddings, festivals, and births. This hints the name bamboo.

The discovery of fireworks or namely the formulation of gunpowder is believed to have occurred by chance approximately 2,000 years ago in China. A few Chinese scientists were thought to have accidentally mixed salt peter, charcoal, and sulphur. The Chinese named this fascinating black powder "huo yao" ("Fire Chemical") and developed it further. The mixture was inserted into the hollow of a bamboo stick and when thrown into a fire, the gases produced by the ignited burning powder inside caused an immense build up of pressure and blasted the tube apart. The basic fire cracker was born.

It was inevitable that the time would come when people would begin to realize that these now powerful explosives could be applied to warfare. The Chinese were well aware of the killing power these explosives had and within 100 years had not only developed fire arrows (bamboo fire crackers attached to regular arrows and shot at the enemy) but even 'Ground Rats'. These consisted of propelling rats from inside the bamboo towards the enemy, creating a great psychological effect on the men and horses. Over time, chemists discovered that the key to the vigorous burning of gunpowder was the fact that saltpeter was rich in oxygen, which it released as it burned. They soon figured out how adding more saltpeter to the mixture made it burn faster, thus making it a more powerful explosive and louder when used in firecrackers.