Firecrackers are also commonly known as fireworks and firecrackers. China people have the habit of setting off fireworks and firecrackers in the New Year, which is a wish for a better life. Firecrackers have a history of more than 2,000 years in China. When there was no gunpowder in ancient China, people used bamboo to burn and burst, making noises to drive away ghosts and gods. So firecrackers are also called firecrackers. Firecrackers are a kind of sacrificial activities. Firecrackers originated in the pre-Qin period. Ancient people usually set off firecrackers from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month. Firecrackers were a sacrificial activity in the pre-Qin period, and the religious behavior of burning firewood and bamboo to exorcise evil spirits and pray for blessings was recorded in Zhou Li. The third sacrifice in Nine Stories is an explosion caused by burning bamboo, which is heated when burning. It will burst at a loss, so it can achieve the effect of explosion. Therefore, bamboo was a popular fuel at that time, and firecrackers became popular from this time.
The function of setting off firecrackers is to drive away ghosts. In the Song Dynasty, firecrackers evolved into burning bamboo. Legend has it that there is a scary-looking primate called mandrill in the mountains, and the explosion caused by burning bamboo can scare it away. The legendary monster Nian is the embodiment of Mandrill, so the ancients drove it away with the violent explosion of firecrackers. In the later period, the development of gunpowder appeared similar to that of modern firecrackers, and setting off fireworks and firecrackers in the New Year became popular in the Tang Dynasty.
The real firecrackers are burning bamboo poles. Therefore, the real firecrackers are not made of gunpowder, but a popular custom of burning bamboo in ancient times. Burning bamboo is also called blasting rod. This custom of burning bamboo during the Spring Festival can still be seen in some rural areas in modern times. Put bamboo and firewood together and burn them to form a bonfire. The bigger the fire, the bigger the coming year. The louder the firecrackers, the more prosperous the coming year will be.