National Kite Flying Day

Kites are flown today on National Kite Flying Day! It is believed that kites came from Shandong, an eastern province of China. From there, traders brought them to Korea, and then across Asia to India. Different styles of kites, as well as different cultural purposes for flying them, came about in different locations. Early kites were often made with bamboo and covered with silk and paper. In 1295 CE, European explorer Marco Polo documented kites and how to fly them. By the sixteenth century, books and literature had publicized kites as children's toys, which helped them gain popularity.

Eventually, kites began being used for science. In 1749, Scottish meteorologist Alexander Wilson measured air temperature at 3,000 feet with a thermometer attached to a kite. Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove lightning is electricity in 1752. The Wright brothers used kites for research when they were building the first airplane in the late 1800s. In the first half of the twentieth century, new kite designs began taking flight, such as the diamond kite, tetrahedral kite, flexible kite, and parafoil kite. Starting in the 1950s, NASA began using kites for spaceship recovery. Over the years, kites have also been used for surveillance during war. The American Kitefliers Association was formed in 1964.

How to Observe National Kite Flying Day

Celebrate by flying a kite! If you don't have a kite, buy one or make your own. You could make a diamond kite or tetrahedral kite. There are other ways you could celebrate. You could search for some kite festivals or events in your area or plan a trip to some of the other big kite festivals around the world. You also could join the American Kitefliers Association and find a kite club in your area. Finally, you could visit the World Kite Museum.

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