For some reason, the UK holiday of Guy Fawkes Night fascinates me. Also called Bonfire Night, it is a celebration held primarily in the United Kingdom every year on the evening of November 5^th. The whole point of the holiday is to commemorate the foiled Gunpowder Plot masterminded by a group of Catholic conspirators who planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Guy Fawkes and his friends were caught on November 5^th, 1605 before they could manage to do any real damage. 

Consequently, citizens now honor the day by setting off huge fireworks displays and lighting bonfires, which I suppose is fitting somehow. They celebrate not having their King, members of Parliament and national monument blown up, by…blowing things up. Why not? 

In addition to fireworks and bonfires, they hold parades, eat special foods (like bonfire toffee) and burn “Guys”, or figures made in his likeness, in effigy. Though not as common today, children would circulate the village asking for “guys” in order to have money to buy fireworks for the celebration. (Nothing like taking a man’s name in beating it to death.) 

As an American, I don’t quite understand the point of the holiday, especially when it seems there are a great deal more important historical events that could be venerated, but who am I to criticize? Some of the United States’ holidays are just as bizarre. And since we’re prone to adopting other nationalities festivals, perhaps some day we’ll end up celebrating Guy Fawkes Night and Bastille Day along with Saint Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. I have no problem with that. I like fireworks and bonfires as much as the next person.  Although, burning a life-sized doll does seem a little extreme.