Fireworks Blog

As I am very interested in Japanese fireworks, here is another post about them. Have you noticed that most of the original Japanese fireworks ball shells casings (hemispheres) are made of newspaper? The reason is simple: although it may be also a way of recycling newspaper, it has an important effect on the explosion "perfection" due to the fact that newspaper has a moderate tensile strength and it split more uniformly during the explosion than the most used strawboard (chinese shells) and plastic (spanish, portuguese shells) casings. Here is an example of a shell made of newspaper hemispheres: Now imagine the lot of work that is needed to paste every piece of newspaper in so many layers to make these casings! Usually they are pasted on top of a wooden ball and then cut at the half. That's it, there are many characteristics of Japanese fireworks that contribute to its perfection and for sure the newspaper casings are one of them. If you like this content...

The Tradition of "Balão Fogueteiro" (fireworks balloon) in Brazil A Unique Blend of Art and Danger in Brazilian Culture Brazilian cultural traditions are rich and varied, with each region contributing its own unique practices to the national tapestry. One such tradition is the "balão fogueteiro" (fireworks balloon), a fascinating yet controversial aspect of Brazilian celebrations, particularly during the June festivals. Let's dive into the history, significance, and the modern-day challenges of this captivating tradition. The Origins of Balão Fogueteiro The tradition of releasing balloons with fireworks, known as "balão fogueteiro," dates back centuries. This practice was originally brought to Brazil by Portuguese settlers and has since become a deeply ingrained part of Brazilian folklore. The balloons, traditionally made from lightweight paper and filled with hot air, were originally used to celebrate religious festi...

Have you seen fireworks mortars with a piece of tape in it's mouth like in the picture below? There is a simple reason for that: security ! With a piece of tape in the mouth of the mortar, pyrotechnics can check if it is loaded or not. For example, think about the end of a fireworks show, pyrotechnicians have to collect the fired mortars and sometimes there are misfires (shells that have not leave the mortar for some reason), so this is an easy way to check it, because if the tape is broken of flown away it means the shell has also leave the mortar.