In some ways, it’s a shame we don’t remember the fifth of November. Just as a bit of fun. Although the fact that the event goes back to 1605 may have something to do with it.
Most of us have probably never heard the rhyme:
Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
The rhyme goes on, but that gives you the idea.
Really, I can never remember Guy Fawkes Day as being much of a thing when I was younger. You may see the odd bonfire, but it really was no big deal.
Then, I moved to Newfoundland for a few years. Because Newfoundland had much more recent ties to the United Kingdom, like still being a colony until 1949, there were still days that were marked that would make those of us CFAs scratch our heads a bit. Like Guy Fawkes Day, or bonfire night, as some called it.
In the UK, it was a bit of a tradition to mark the foiling of the plan to blow up the parliament buildings in 1605 by lighting fires and and burning Guy Fawkes in effigy. Whether or not it is right to blame it all on poor Guy could be up for debate, but who doesn’t like a good bonfire?
Although there were times when things would get a bit out of hand with people lighting fires in the middle of streets, just to create a bit of general mayhem… which sort of runs counter to what you are trying to celebrate.
Anyway, it was a thing in some places. Fires would happen, people would celebrate a bit.
Now, the Guy Fawkes mask has been taken over by Anonymous. They took it from V for Vendetta and I believe first started using it to keep the identity of protestors against the Church of Scientology secret, since Scientology had a habit of going after some of their detractors. But the meaning of the Guy Fawkes mask has sort of changed a bit because of that.
In some ways, it’s a shame we don’t celebrate bonfire night these days. I could use a good flaming marshmallow. Especially this year.
