Firework Festivals
Remember, remember the fifth of November…Bonfire Night is also known as Fireworks Night or Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK. It’s a British tradition dating back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James the First. The anniversary of Fawkes’ arrest on 05 November is celebrated each year in the UK with bonfires and fireworks.
However, experts believe that actual fireworks originated in China more than 2000 years ago. The Chinese began to use green bamboo in religious ceremonies and threw chunks of it onto fires. As the bamboo burned it exploded with loud sounds which many believed made bad spirits afraid; thus, it was used at several happy occasions to ward off evil. Years later the bamboo was replaced with gun powder.
Today fireworks are used to mark special occasions like religious festivals, celebrations and weddings and it is possible to experience fabulous displays around the world. We thought we would take a look at some of the best and brightest shows throughout the year and if you do decide to try one of our suggestions below, don't forget to consider our meet and greet airport parking services.
Diwali, India
Fireworks play a huge part of Diwali, also known as the Festival of Light which is celebrated within India and other Indian communities across the world. Diwali happens between mid-October and mid-November each year and some of the most awe-inspiring and majestic firework displays can be seen during this window of time.
New Year Celebrations
New Year sees magnificent firework displays around the globe with countries competing to be the greatest. London sees an amazing display of fireworks launched from the foot the London Eye and rafts on the River Thames, Sydney provides a spectacularly grand display over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House and with no expenses spared, Dubai sees fireworks surge out from the Burj Kalifa, the world’s tallest building.
Hong Kong, China, and Chinatowns across the world celebrate Chinese New Year with tremendous red and yellow firework displays and colourful dragons in February which usually coincides with the annual Lantern Festival, where thousands are released into the sky.
America’s Independence Day - The Fourth of July
Independence Day in the USA which sees Americans celebrate their independence from the British Empire in 1776 is celebrated with enormous firework displays throughout the country. Macy’s Firework Spectacular in New York is the world’s longest running firework display and the 40,000 different types of firework can be seen across the Hudson River. Fireworks also light up the skies in Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston and Niagara Falls.
Bastille Day, France
French National Day or Bastille Day is celebrated on 14 July each year and marks the storming of the Bastille by revolutionaries in 1789. The largest military parade in Europe can be seen down the Champs-Elysees in Paris the morning whilst breath-taking fireworks light up the Eiffel Tower in the evening.
National Day, Singapore
Singapore celebrates its independence from Malaysia in 1965 with its National Day holiday on August 09 each year and the Singapore Firework Celebrations is one of the most elaborate firework displays in the world. Impressive shows take place over several different nights, making this one of the longest-running annual firework displays in the world.
Disney Fireworks
Firework displays are a nightly thing at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The Magic Kingdom puts on the Wishes Night-time Spectacular, while the Epcot Centre features a fireworks, laser and water show. The holiday themed fireworks display on Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year are certainly the most extravagant.
If you are planning to take in some spectacular firework displays on holiday remember how the impressive firework began and how long they have been around. Spare a thought for our team as they work on Guy Fawkes night, as there are no fireworks allowed at the airport!
By Sarah Anglim at 3 Nov 2016