Tomorrow is July 4, or Fourth of July, or Independence Day as some Americans call it.

This means cookouts with burgers (lame versions of braais), wearing American flag-coloured clothing (‘Merica!), and setting off fireworks displays.

If you’re the American president, it also means redirection funds from the country’s national parks to pay for a military parade featuring jets and tanks.

For now, we will focus on the fireworks displays, with a look back at some efforts that fall into the ‘fail’ category.

VICE has assembled some classics, starting with a Fourth of July shocker from San Diego back in 2012. Here’s what happens when every firework in a massive display goes off at the same time:

Panic.

Not much is known about this video below:

A war basically broke out here between man and the gigantic, highly unstable rockets we have tried to tame for our amusement—a war that, on this day, we certainly lost. Looks fun!

Depends on your definition of ‘fun’, but off we go:

The crowd cheering at the end really puts the cherry on top.

Enter Medina Lake, back in 2010:

Again, cheering. ‘Merica!

Let’s finish with what is always likely to be a dangerous combination – grandparents and fireworks:

Much like social media, there are some things the grandparents should leave to the younger folk.

If you are setting off fireworks, just remember to be clever about it, and consider the fact that they scare the living daylights out of cats, dogs, and other animals.

[source:vice]