It’s hard to believe that today is anything other than the day after the US presidential election. But, my friends across the pond are celebrating Guy Fawkes night. As my colleague just asked, “who is Guy Fawkes?” followed by “and what is his name doing in my day planner?”. I can’t answer the second question unless she bought her day planner in the UK, but I can have a good crack at the first.
Guy Fawkes was a Roman Catholic and the lead conspirator in a plot to kill Protestant King James I by blowing up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. In the days leading up to the State Opening of Parliament on November 5th, he accumulated a large amount of gunpowder in the cellars beneath the House of Lords and was just about to light the fuse when he was found and captured. He was tortured until he confessed and gave up the names of his co-conspirators who were subsequently arrested, tried and found guilty of high treason. The punishment for this capital crime was gruesome: they were hung, drawn and quartered.
Although the importance of the monarchy in British life is becoming more and more controversial, King James’ narrow escape from death is still marked, 400 years later. On December 3rd, at the State Opening of Parliament, before the arrival of Queen Elizabeth, a Yeoman of the Guard will make a symbolic search of the cellars beneath the Houses of Parliament. Everywhere else across the country, November 5th is officially “Bonfire Night”. Until recently, children would make an effigy of Guy Fawkes (old clothes stuffed with straw like a scarecrow) and push it around the streets in a wheelbarrow, shouting “penny for the guy”. Unfortunately, in recent years the guy became less important than the penny and buying fireworks was forgotten (and forbidden) in favor of cigarettes. In 2008, children rarely go to the effort of making a guy and even more rarely try their hand at garnering donations to their allowance, but on this day every year, huge bonfires and the (official) fireworks still light up the usually cold, damp November skies.
Like Christmas, the real meaning of Bonfire Night and all it’s symbolism is gradually disappearing among the lights and sounds and food that children look forward to on November 5th. Although I can’t remember where, I was once taught the Guy Fawkes rhyme and I sincerely hope the children celebrating tonight can recite it too.
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot
Philomena
Comments