Chrysanthemum, peony, dahlia, palm and willow are all names of flowers and trees but not only… they may also refer to fireworks effects, along with comet, fish, pistil, brocade, crosette and strobe.

Such effects have fascinated mankind ever since fireworks were invented by the Chinese thousands of years ago.

Even British author Charles Dickens was mesmerised by a particular type called tourbillion (French for tornado or whirlwind), a firework with a spiral flight that looks and ‘hisses’ like a snake.

He listed this effect in the weekly magazine Household Words in 1853, describing the tourbillion as “a sort of double rocket, having orifices so placed as to produce a double recoil − one rotatory and one vertical”.

“The tourbillon revolves and ascends at the same time and is an exceedingly beautiful and brilliant firework,” he wrote.

One may experience the same beauty and thrill tonight as St Michael’s Fireworks Factory, of Lija, presents its much-anticipated fireworks display as part of the locality’s feast celebrations.

The show annually attracts fireworks enthusiasts and aficionados from all over the island who eagerly flock to the town and surrounding areas early to secure a good viewing spot.

These effects have fascinated mankind ever since fireworks were invented

“St Michael’s Fireworks Factory is one of the oldest on the island, having manufactured fireworks since 1925,” pyrotechnician Joshua Abela told Times of Malta.

“We manufacture fireworks from scratch, not only for Lija but also for other localities, including Gozo. We have also competed in an international festival in Monaco twice, winning an edition,” his cousin, Joseph Zahra, also a pyro-technician, added proudly.

The two-hour spectacle, titled Pyro Chevalier, will start at 9.30pm with a pyromusical display. After three songs, a series of traditional Maltese break shells will be let off. The pyromusical extravaganza will then resume.

“We’ll play seven songs in all, which include a mix of pop, rock, dance and opera,” Mr Zahra said.

These are Rise Up by Imagine Dragons, World Annihilation by Gothic Storm, Speechless by Robin Schulz, Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Travatore, Cassandra by Thomas Bergersen, Giant by Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man and a medley of Queen songs.

The factory will this year be using an innovative technique for the shell petards (blalen) and the ground ones known locally as xogħol ta’ l-art. They will also use flash pots, which can create puffs of smoke, flashes of fire or showers of bright silver sparks.

The display will not be shorn of the much-loved patterned shells such as hearts and stars. Also look out for a jaw-dropping ‘shell of shells’ (ballun tal-blalen) and stunning ghost shells (blalen jiċċaqalqu).

All fireworks will be let off through a digital system called FireOne Firing.

After the aerial show (around midnight), a programme of mechanised ground fireworks (nar ta’ l-art) will start near the playing field, in Giovanni Barbara Street.

This year, there will be more Catherine wheels (rdieden), including two sets known locally as tapit (a row of Catherine wheels that are lit up at the same time, creating a carpet-on-fire effect).

Lija’s celebrations will reach a peak tomorrow with the liturgical feast of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour.

Common types of fireworks effects

Chrysanthemum: A flower-like aerial pattern.

Brocade: A spider-like effect, usually using glitter to produce long tails.

Comet: A type of star that leaves a long trail of sparks as it flies through the air.

Crosette: A type of comet that breaks into multiple comets, usually forming a cross shape.

Pearls: Bright balls of colour that fly through the sky and burn themselves out after reaching maximum height.

Waterfall: Glowing embers that fall slowly in the air, creating a willow or waterfall effect.

Fish: An aerial effect that looks like a swarm of objects squirming through the air.

Palm: An effect that produces a gold or silver stem as the shell rises into the sky (known as rising tail) followed by a brocade or willow effect that creates palm fronds.

Peony: A spherical ball of coloured lights in the sky.

Pistil: A ball of stars in the centre of another ball of stars.

Strobe: A blinking effect that looks like shimm-ering water.

Tourbillion: A type of star that spins, giving off large quantities of gold, silver or white light.

Willow: An aerial effect that looks like a giant willow tree in the sky.