This weekend will see a lot of fireworks display around England. This is a tradition celebrated since 1606 to remind everyone of the failed attempt to assassinate King James I and to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The main character is Guy Fawkes as he was the one caught red-handed with the 36 barrels of gunpowder under the House of Lords. This Gunpowder Plot was brought about by religion mainly, when English Catholics were not allowed to practise their faith openly since the establishment of the Church of England under Henry VIII. Fawkes was a Protestant who converted into Catholicism at some point.
Story has it that the perpetrators had second thoughts about the plan that one of them sent a warning letter to Lord Monteagle to stay away from the Parliament on the 5th of November, which was the day of the opening of the Parliament. This letter was shown to the King who, in turn, ordered a search of the building and the hunt for the conspirators.
Long story short, Fawkes was caught with the fuses at the cellar under the House of Lords and was executed on the 30th of January 1606 along with his co-plotters. Upon discovery, people around the country lit bonfires in thanksgiving for the King’s safety.
Since then, Britain had been observing this day to remind everyone of one of the greatest act of treason against the monarchy. And up until 1959, it was illegal NOT to celebrate Guy Fawkes. Celebrations include an effigy of Fawkes being burned in the bonfire and of course, fireworks.
The Gunpowder Plot has also been immortalised in nursery rhymes as below:
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!Guy Fawkes, guy, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove Old England’s overthrow.By God’s mercy he was catch’d
With a darkened lantern and burning match.
So, holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King!And what shall we do with him?
Burn him!
Credits: Image and nursery rhyme taken from www.bonefire.org; some of the information was also taken from innotts.
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Ah, so that’s the story! Thanks for sharing this.
The ironic thing is, to someone who doesn’t know the history of the event, it seems like a celebration in honour of Guy Fawkes! :melting:
ha ha! actually, there are those who say that they celebrate IN HONOUR of the attempt to overthrow the government!
i agree with karen! i used to wonder who guy fawkes was and what he did to merit this celebration but was always to lazy to find out. thanks to this entry, i’m a little less ignorant.
i’ve never heard of a law saying it’s illegal NOT to celebrate something! very interesting…
The things you learn reading blogs on the ‘net! I never heard of ‘im before. Sounds like a good excuse for a big party!
cats: too bad, they took away that law…could use another bank holiday.
lydia: i also never heard of him until i came to england. i agree with you with the info you read on the net. maybe through blog-hopping (or blog-spotting) people could be a little bit more wiser as they learn these new things. who knows, the next generation might just be more open minded than we are! we could only hope!
So did you go to one of them council sponsored fireworks display? We wanted to but were discouraged by the crappy weather – misty, raining, cold – oh yeah that’s right this is England in Nov!
celia, no, i didn’t go to any fireworks display although weather was not that all bad where i live (medway). i could see all fireworks display from my flat, anyway. my neighbours had their own pati.