I celebrated Guy Fawkes Day once because a friend from England was a part of the church community where we lived and we wanted to make him feel more at home here in the states. I stuffed a Guy Fawkes dummy for my front patio, made homemade scones and clotted cream and we had our own little party. There was no bon-fire or perpetual torture. Just good friends, a nice tea, and my kids asking why I was making a scary dummy on the porch since Halloween was already past. It 's all in the perspective I suppose, and a day for clotted cream and fresh scones is one I'd celebrate any day!
Although Bonfire Night is an ancient ritual, Guy Fawkes Day emerged as a nationalistic reaction to “The Gunpowder Plot” of 1605. The leader of the conspiracy, Guy Fawkes, was an ardent Catholic who attempted to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament with the hopes of challenging the Protestant control of the country. The failure of Fawkes’s plot brought about an immediate surge in English Nationalism; Parliament quickly declared November 5th a national holiday that would be celebrated with “the pealing of bells and firing of cannon, with communal rejoicings, and a special service to be held in all the churches” (Hole 218). Evidently the English government’s original intention was to make “Guy Fawkes Day” a celebration of the strength of the Church of England.for more information on Guy Fawkes Day and it's history, visit Class Projects.
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