July 4th Dictionary

Betsy Ross: The woman who sewed the first official flag of the United States of America.

binder: A compound used in fireworks that holds firework pellets together.

BYOB: Short for Bring Your Own Bottle or Bring Your Own Booze, meaning people attending a party should bring their own beverages.

cake: Also called an aerial repeater, a cake is a device that launches multiple fireworks into the air.

chlorine donor: A compound in fireworks that strengthens the flame's colors via chlorine.

chrysanthemum: A circular firework effect in which stars burst out of a center, leaving trails behind them. Similar to the peony, which does not have trails.

color: Various chemical compounds added to fireworks to give them their brilliant color.

Continental Army: The American army that fought Great Britain's forces during the American Revolutionary War.

Continental Congress: The United State's first national government, which operated from 1774 to 1781, after which it was replaced by a legislative government.

crossette: A firework effect that is also known as a splitting comet, a crossette launches into the sky leaving a comet-like trail, which bursts into four separate trails that fly our perpendicular to the tail.

dahlia: A firework effect in which the firework bursts into a round display of large stars.

Declaration of Independence: The United States Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776, proclaiming the country's freedom from British rule.

diadem: A spherical firework effect in which the firework bursts similar to the peony, but with fewer stars and colors that are not as bright.