A new holiday to celebrate

The fifth of November is variously called Fireworks Night, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK. We have braved a couple of cold, dark nights in order to join our British friends outside for this annual festivity.

The Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, or Gunpowder Plot, as it was known at the time, was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics against King James I of England. The plot intended to kill the king, his family, and most of the Protestant aristocracy in a single attack by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening on 5 November 1605. The infamous plot, however, was found out and these old-school terrorists - Guy Fawkes in particular - were tortured and executed.

On the very night that the Gunpowder Plot was foiled, on November 5th, 1605, bonfires were set alight to celebrate the safety of the King. Since then, November 5th has become known as Bonfire Night.

It is still the custom in Britain on, or around, 5 November to set off fireworks. Traditionally, people make "guys" — effigies supposedly of Fawkes — usually formed from old clothes stuffed with newspaper to be burnt on the bonfire.

And so we wonder... are the British celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government??? Either way, we have enjoyed good food, good fun and yet another unique cultural experience.

Historical extra: perhaps the most interesting history of this holiday: the word "guy" came into use based upon this effigy-burning practice during the 19th century and meant "a weirdly dressed person." Obviously, in subsequent centuries it came to mean any male person.