It is still February and that means it's still winter. It may be cold and blustery where you live but today is, believe it or not, National Kite Flying Day. I have always associated flying a kite with early spring when the winds of (seasonal) change begin to blow. But, alas, no one asked for my opinion on the subject, so here we have it. This is the designated day we celebrate kite flying.
On this auspicious occasion, I offer you a few of the most interesting facts I could find about kite flying. So even if you're unable to "go fly a kite" today you can still be part of the celebration.
1. It is believed that the first kite was flown some 3,000 years ago and was, most likely, made from leaves.
2. For centuries, kites have been used in wars and battles, for signaling, lifting observers, target practice, as barrage kites, and for dropping letters and newspapers.
3. Kite flying was banned in China during the Cultural Revolution. If caught, your kite was destroyed and you could be sentenced to three years in jail! The Chinese name for a kite is Fen Zheng, which means "wind harp." The name is derived from early Chinese kites which were used to carry wind (musical) instruments.
4. The airplane is actually a development of the kite.
5. Kite flying is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with over 50 million kites being sold in the US every year.
6. It is a common misconception that you need wind to fly a kite. You don't!
7. The smallest kite which actually flies is only 5 mm tall (.19 inches). The largest kite in the world is called the Megabite. it measures 55 x 22 meters (180.45 ft x 72.18 feet). The longest kite in the world measures 103 meters or 3394 feet.
8. The fastest recorded speed of a kite is 193 km/h or 120 mph!
9. The longest kite fly lasted 180 hours. And the highest a kite has flown is 3801 meters (12,471 feet).
10. The record for the largest number of kites flown on a single line, a record still held today, belongs to a Japanese kite maker. And speaking of Japan, kite flying was banned there in 1760 because too many people preferred flying a kite to going to work. Well, duh! That is true nearly everywhere, I bet. Some Japanese kites weigh as much as 2 tons. Can you even imagine the kind of string you'd need to fly one of those???
That does it for me for this week. If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, you might consider flying a kite. These fun facts have inspired me to try building a kite with my little brother Quigley. He loves our brotherly projects and the weather is supposed to be awesome over the next few days. Whatever your plans are this weekend, have a little fun and please stay safe! Until Monday, I wish you all
PEACE.
On this auspicious occasion, I offer you a few of the most interesting facts I could find about kite flying. So even if you're unable to "go fly a kite" today you can still be part of the celebration.
1. It is believed that the first kite was flown some 3,000 years ago and was, most likely, made from leaves.
2. For centuries, kites have been used in wars and battles, for signaling, lifting observers, target practice, as barrage kites, and for dropping letters and newspapers.
3. Kite flying was banned in China during the Cultural Revolution. If caught, your kite was destroyed and you could be sentenced to three years in jail! The Chinese name for a kite is Fen Zheng, which means "wind harp." The name is derived from early Chinese kites which were used to carry wind (musical) instruments.
4. The airplane is actually a development of the kite.
5. Kite flying is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with over 50 million kites being sold in the US every year.
6. It is a common misconception that you need wind to fly a kite. You don't!
7. The smallest kite which actually flies is only 5 mm tall (.19 inches). The largest kite in the world is called the Megabite. it measures 55 x 22 meters (180.45 ft x 72.18 feet). The longest kite in the world measures 103 meters or 3394 feet.
8. The fastest recorded speed of a kite is 193 km/h or 120 mph!
9. The longest kite fly lasted 180 hours. And the highest a kite has flown is 3801 meters (12,471 feet).
10. The record for the largest number of kites flown on a single line, a record still held today, belongs to a Japanese kite maker. And speaking of Japan, kite flying was banned there in 1760 because too many people preferred flying a kite to going to work. Well, duh! That is true nearly everywhere, I bet. Some Japanese kites weigh as much as 2 tons. Can you even imagine the kind of string you'd need to fly one of those???
That does it for me for this week. If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, you might consider flying a kite. These fun facts have inspired me to try building a kite with my little brother Quigley. He loves our brotherly projects and the weather is supposed to be awesome over the next few days. Whatever your plans are this weekend, have a little fun and please stay safe! Until Monday, I wish you all
PEACE.
www.thefactsite.com/2009/06/facts-about-kites.html
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