Source: chinaculture.org

01-17-2008 17:15

A Chinese New Year celebration would not be complete without fireworks. In China firework are set off to express joy and happiness during the Spring Festival. It is meant to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new.

Well-made firecrackers are usually packed with red paper. When they explode, scraps of red paper are scattered all over the floor, which means good luck for the coming year. For the merchants, it is important set off firecrackers for as long as possible, which means they will earn a lot of money in the New Year.

The history of fireworks goes back thousands of years. It is believed that the first firecrackers were likely chunks of green bamboo that someone may have thrown onto a fire when people didn't have paper or powder. The rods sizzled and blackened, and after a while, unexpectedly exploded. The noise is supposed to scare away all evil spirits and misfortunes and ensure happiness and prosperity. The Chinese name for firecracker is "pao chuk", which means "bursting bamboo".