Guy Fawkes Night

[oakdale160]

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
There is no good reason
Why this treason should ever be forgot.

I lived in the UK for some years as a child and teenager. "Bonfire Night" or "Fireworks Night" or "Guy Fawkes NIght" was a huge date on children's calendar. Is it still a biggy or has it been overpowered by Halloween??

[HHTel]

Mostly organised displays these days. However, this year has been a wash-out because of rain.

[oakdale160]

I guess making a bonfire, making a dummy Catholic terrorist and burning him is not very PC!

[Dannie Boy]

According to the attached report, injuries caused by fireworks are on the increase - I suspect that many of the injuries are caused by lads acting irresponsibly, but that’s been going on for years - I can remember as a 14-15 year old when our scout troop organised a “firework fight” at our local heathland, fortunately nobody got injured but they could so easily have done so.

Two further factors, today’s fireworks are no doubt more powerful than they were 50+ years ago and most are made in China and probably not to the same standards as UK fireworks used to be.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46071940

[uncle tom]

However, this year has been a wash-out because of rain.

Only in the west of the country - best season ever for weather in the south east..

[dtaai-maai]

I'm not sure it's even referred to as Guy Fawkes night any more or that anyone under the age of about 40 has much of an idea what it's all about. My son-in-law believes that this is an example of the establishment trying to rewrite (or rather obscure) history, but I think he's missing the point, as the occasion 'celebrates' the execution of a 'terrorist' rather than glorifying Fawkes himself (although anarchist groups tend to wear Fawkes masks these days).

It's definitely been overtaken by Halloween now, for purely commercial reasons - you only have to go into a supermarket to see an aisle full of ghoulish masks and costumes. There was no such thing 40-50 years ago. No more penny for the guy, no bonfires and baked potatoes in the back garden, no fireworks from newsagents, no sparklers, rockets in bottles or catherine wheels nailed to the garden fence.

Having said that, there have been plenty of private fireworks around here for the last week or so, but I doubt any of them were related to Guy Fawkes.

[arcadianagain]

My mother, who was born in the 20`s, used to refer to it as Pope Night. Logical I suppose.