WhenNovember5thcomes,manypeoplefeelthattheyshouldgivetheirdogasedative,forsomedogsgetverynervouswhentheyhearloudbangs,andtheeveningofGuyFawkesDayissuretobenoisyiftherearechildrenlivinginyourneighborhoodinEngland.
November5thisadayonwhich,traditionally,childrenareallowed,underpropersupervision,toletofffireworks,tomakeabonfireandburnonitthefigureofaraggeddummy(a‘guy2’)madeofoldclothes,straw,and—ifpossible—oneoffather’soldesthats.Eventhesmallerchildrenareallowedtostayupuntilitisreallydark,sothattheycanadmiretherocketsthatburstintheskyandsenddownashowerofmany-coloredsparks.
TheoriginofthiscustomliesintheGunpowderPlotof1605.InthatyearKingJamesI3wasonthethrone.HarshmeasureshadbeentakenagainstmembersoftheRomanCatholicfaithandcertainCatholicsplottedtoblowuptheHousesofParliament4onNovember5th,whentheKingwastoopenParliamentandwhen,ofcourse,alltheMemberswouldbepresent.TheplottershadhiredpremisesadjoiningtheHouseofLords,andhadbeenabletoobtainaccesstoavaultbeneaththeHouse.There,theyhadstoredthirty-sixbarrelsofgunpowder.Theseweretobeblownup,whenthetimecame,byaverybrave,cool-headedman,GuyFawkes.Unfortunately,accordingtothetraditionalaccount,theplotwasdiscoveredwhenoneoftheplotterswrotetowarnarelation.OnNovember4ththevaultsweresearched,andGuyFawkeswasfoundandarrested.Itissaidthathehadbeenwarnedthattheplothadbeendiscovered,buthegallantlypersistedinhispurpose,hopingagainsthope5thathemightbefavoredbychanceandbeabletoridhiscountryof6menwhomheconsideredevil.Hewascondemnedtobehanged,alongwithothersofhisfellowconspirators.Hemethisdeathwithgreatfortitude.
Itisthefailureofthisman,whowasstaunchinhisfaiththoughperhapsmisguidedinactions,thatisperpetuatedbythechildren’sfireworksofNovember5th.ItisapoortributetoFawkes’scouragethathisChristianname7,Guy,waslongusedinEnglishtodenoteapersonwhoisafigureoffunchieflybecauseofhisodddress.
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