Bomb Day, or in Chinese, Yee Yeut Yee, takes its name from the colorful firing of the bombs highlighting the celebration, which is in tribute to the Chinese Water God, Bok Eye.

Each year on the second day of the second month of the Chinese lunar year, the Chinese community of Marysville and the Marysville Yuba County Chamber of Commerce join in putting on the Bomb Day celebration, which marks Bok Eye's birthday. When the day falls on a weekday, the festivities usually are held for two days during the weekend.

The annual two-day event draws thousands from Marysville and surrounding communities. It also attracts thousands of Chinese from all parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico, who come to worship at the Bok Kai Temple and join in the festivities.

Although the celebration includes the colorful parade, a fashion show, dance, exhibitions by Lion Dancers, banquets and other entertainment, the highlight of the event is the firing of the bombs.

The 100 bombs are fired in a roped arena where young Chinese, and occasionally adults, scramble for “good fortune” rings which are shot into the air from the bursting bombs, traditionally bring good fortune to the holder throughout the year.

The rings may be kept by those who retrieve them in the scramble, but often they are sold to people who want to keep the lucky charms for a year. Those who purchase them, in turn, pay a fee at the temple to hold the rings.

The No. 4 ring is the luckiest, and therefore the most sought after ring of all, and brings on the liveliest scramble when the bombs are fired.

In addition to the fun and excitement of the celebration, Bomb Day has another aspect - it enables the Chinese to worship at the temple, which honors Bok Eye, worshipped by the Chinese for banishing evil spirits and for controlling rains and floods of spring in time for planting.

During the ritual of worship at the temple, each individual finds out how the new year will benefit him in his particular endeavor.

The temple, which stands next to the Marysville levee at the foot of D Street, was first built in the early 1860s nearly two blocks upstream from the present site. It was destroyed once and rebuilt on the present site.

The bombs, resembling giant firecrackers, are handmade in Marysville specifically for Bomb Day. Commissioned to do the job is Tom Lim, who learned the tedious and ancient craft from his native China. Lim has produced the bombs for this event the past 10 years after importation of them was halted following the Communist take-over of China. He uses discarded magazine paper rolled tightly around a stalk of bamboo, melting resin, dirt, gun powder, twine, gold leaf paper and, for the rings, fine wire. For safety, the fust or wick is inserted just prior to the firing. A special permit and license are issued each year by the State Fire Marshal to the Marysville Chinese Community for this annual production of approximately 100 bombs.