Guy Fawkes Night, 2010

Friday night was quite the English experience.  November 5^th is celebrated as Guy Fawkes (aka Bonfire Night) throughout all of England.  Brace yourself for a nerdy history lesson.  In 1605, when King James I was in power, a group of Catholic conspirators plotted to assassinate him in an attempt to bring down the Protestant religion he supported and restore the Catholic monarch.  After gaining access to an undercroft below the House of Parliament, 36 barrels (2 tons) of gunpowder were smuggled in and one conspirator named Guy Fawkes was placed in charge of guarding them.  An anonymous tip led to his discovery and the plot, now known as the “Gunpowder Plot,” was foiled.  Ever since, November 5^th has been marked as the day King James escaped assassination and is celebrated throughout the country.

The bonfire with "Guy" sitting at the top.

Cities and villages throughout the entire country build HUGE bonfires and have equally huge fireworks displays.  Additionally, most celebrations feature a best “Guy” competition, in which children create dummies made of straw, old clothes, masks, etc., in the likeness of Guy Fawkes.  The crazy part about this is that the winning “Guy” is then placed on top of the bonfire in a chair where he eventually burns. 

So, now that I bored you to tears, Katie and I went to the local Bonfire Night here in Truro last night and had a blast.  The large field just outside of town was quickly filled with thousands of people.  There were grilled sausages (hot dogs), burgers, soup, hot chocolate, etc., and of course the best “Guy” competition.  The massive crowd soon gathered around the HUGE bonfire in anticipation.  The winning “Guy” was ceremoniously placed at the top and the fire was lit.  

...and another "Guy" bites the dust.

On a side note, Katie and I were marveling at how many young kids were there and just as we commented on how sweet their little English accents were, this crowd of sweet little children began chanting “Burn Him, Burn Him, Burn Him!!!”  It was like a creepy horror movie. 

The remaining “Guys” were eventually thrown onto the burning heap drawing a loud cheer from the crowd each time one was tossed on.  As two people who were brand new to this tradition, it was hilarious to watch. 

...and the children wait for their "Guy" to be tossed on.

Just as the bonfire was reaching its peak, there was an incredible fireworks display at one end of the field.  It was seriously one of the best displays we had ever seen.  As the night began to wind down, Katie and I headed into town and eventually back home.   Needless to say, it was quite the evening.  Much like the Americans on the 4^th of July, the night is basically an opportunity to grill out, drink a lot, build a big fire and play with fireworks.  Happy Guy Fawkes !!